106. Class Divides in Mental Health Treatment: Policies & Systems of Containment and Control with Sociologist Neil Gong

I speak with sociologist Neil Gong about his book: Sons, Daughters, and Sidewalk Psychotics, which explores how mental health care in the U.S. is deeply shaped by class divides. We talk about the legacy of deinstitutionalization, how public systems rely on what he calls “tolerant containment” while elite institutions often impose surveillance and control, and the different ways each system can fail. Neil and I dig into housing-first programs, clinician burnout, and RFK’s vision for therapeutic farms. We also unpack what Neil calls the “Frankenstein monster” created by the uneasy mix of civil libertarian ideals and austerity policies. The conversation ends with reflections on political education, peer-led alternatives, and how we can hold space for complex and even opposing perspectives in the fight for better mental health systems.

In this episode we discuss:

• class comparisons in of Public vs. private mental health care models in Los Angeles
• History and impacts of deinstitutionalization
• Tolerant containment in public systems vs. surveillance in elite settings
• What we can do to improve quality of care
• RFK’s therapeutic farms and proposed health policies
• The need for peer support and user-led initiatives in mental health reform
• The “Frankenstein” fusion of civil liberties and austerity politics
• Institutional harm reduction, defunding social programs and its potential backlash
• Teaching political education

Bio

Neil Gong is assistant professor of sociology at the University of California, San Diego. He is the author of Sons, Daughters and Sidewalk Psychotics: Mental Illness and Homelessness in Los Angeles. His public commentary has appeared in venues like the Washington Post, the Atlantic, and the Los Angeles Times

Links

Neil’s Website: https://www.neilgong.com/

Book: Sons, Daughters and Sidewalk Psychotics: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo212067953.html

Resources:

• Find videos and bonus episodes: ⁠DEPTHWORK.SUBSTACK.COM⁠
• Get the book: ⁠⁠Mad Studies Reader: Interdisciplinary Innovations in Mental Health⁠
• Become a member: ⁠The Institute for the Development of Human Arts⁠
• Train with us: ⁠Transformative Mental Health Core Curriculum

Sessions & Information about the host: ⁠⁠JazmineRussell.com⁠⁠

Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.