Everything Everywhere Daily · Sunday, July 12, 2026
In 1973, David Rosenhan, a Stanford professor, conducted an experiment to test the diagnostic biases of mental health professionals. Eight pseudopatients, feigning only auditory hallucinations, were admitted to psychiatric hospitals. Despite acting normally afterward, they were diagnosed with mental illnesses, with most being diagnosed with schizophrenia, and remained hospitalized for an average of 19 days.
“The results were jarring enough to completely change how doctors handled psychiatric care.”
“All of the pseudopatients were admitted despite experiencing no other psychiatric symptoms.”
“Among the 12 hospitals tested, none of the staff recognized that the pseudopatients didn't belong there.”