John Pringle’s now famous article published in the Times in 1970 set
out the case, and the story is told here, as it unfolded between 1972
and 1985, by some of those who responded to that letter. It tells how
they challenged a system that put intolerable strain on thousands of
families and individuals affected by severe mental illness.
Behind this story lie many individual stories, only a few of which can
be included here. The tale is told for all the hundreds of thousands of
individuals and families for whom NSF was conceived.
The dedication and tenacity of that early group, and of all those who
have supported NSF, contributed to the changes in mental health policy
and attitude that we are beginning to see today. There is a recognition
that people with mental illnesses have a right to be included, a right to
be treated with dignity and respect, and a right to be understood as
unique individuals who happen to have a mental illness.
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