Everything Everywhere Daily · Sunday, July 12, 2026
Observations from David Rosenhan's 1973 experiment revealed significant issues with how psychiatric hospital staff interacted with patients. Pseudopatients reported staff spent an average of only 6.8 minutes per day with them, often remaining behind glass enclosures and treating patients impersonally.
“On average, the staff spent only 6.8 minutes with each imposter every day.”
“They typically stood behind a glass enclosure where they could see the patient but couldn't respond to behavior.”
“The imposter's notes highlighted that staff interactions with patients were inadequate.”