Institutional Selves

Institutional selves- Psych episode

In this episode of “Psych”, Shawn (the psychic cop) goes undercover into a mental hospital as a patient in order to try to prove that another patient should not be ‘not guilty’ of murder by reason of insanity. As we discussed in class, it is difficult for a patient who has been committed into a mental institution (a Total Institution) to create their own identity. Rather, every action and behavior of the patient is used to support the “sick” identity placed on the patient by doctors and nurses. In Shawn’s case, even though he is not actually a patient, few people actually know this. His behavior is seen as outside of the norm and supports his (fake) diagnosis. At one point he is even put into isolation and strapped down because the nurses believe he is sick. Because he is in the institution, it is hard for him to keep his identity as sane and normal. When a murder happens on-site, Shawn tells the nurses that he is a cop, but because they believe he is insane, they believe this behavior is just part of him being sick and don’t believe Shawn, even though he is telling the truth. Similarly, it is even harder for Shawn to prove that the other patient is sane and faking sick because he has already been committed into the institution and given the identity of being insane. At the end of the episode, Shawn requires someone else to vouch for him and to explain that he really is a cop and is not insane.