How Mad are You

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Science Documentary hosted by Paul McGann and published by BBC broadcasted as part of BBC Horizon series in 2008 - English narration

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Episode 1/2

First Aired: 11 Nov 2008 21:00 BBC Two, UK

Around one in four people in the UK has been diagnosed with mental illness at some point in their lives. For many, simply being called "mentally ill" is a heavy burden, as it can bring profound social stigma, leaving some patients outcast all their lives. This two-part special for Horizon confronts this stigma and probes the fine line between mental illness and sanity. It asks: how mad are you?

The programme features 10 volunteers; half have psychiatric disorders, the other half don't – but who is who? Over five days, the group takes part in a life-changing experience as they are put through a series of challenges – from performing stand-up comedy to mucking out cows – to see who copes best with the tests put before them. The events are designed to explore the character traits of mental illness and ask whether the symptoms might be within all of us.

Watching the volunteers are three leading experts in mental health who accepted the challenge to work out who is who. This is something they have to do every day, but this process of observation turns out to be far harder than any of them expected.

The programmes explore some of the ideas behind a seminal Seventies experiment by Dr David Rosenhan – where sane patients faked symptoms to gain admission to psychiatric hospitals. It was an experiment which transformed how mental illness was diagnosed.

Horizon's own series of tasks, conducted by psychologist Professor PeterKinderman, probes the line between "normal" and "mad". But will the individuals who have been affected by mental illness reveal themselves?

The programme explores the labels associated with psychiatric disorders and questions our perceptions and preconceptions of what mental illness is.

Episode 2/2

First Aired: 18 Nov 2008 21:00 BBC Two, UK

Second part of the special documentary considering where the line between sanity and madness lies as ten volunteers come together for an extraordinary test.

With five 'normal' volunteers and five who have been officially diagnosed as mentally ill, Horizon asks if you can tell who is who.