Behind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals

About Behind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals

This podcast examines the history of now-defunct or abandoned psychiatric hospitals. Listen every week to learn about the history of mental health care and the true stories of the people who lived and worked behind the walls.

Publisher

Dr. Sarah Gallup

Category

health & fitness · history · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Jan 2023

Latest episode

15 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

102 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Jun 2026

   Ep. 102: McLean Psychiatric Hospital, Part 2 (1896-1906)

   Send us Fan Mail This week's episode focuses on the history of McLean Psychiatric Hospital around the turn of the 20th century. In particular, we examine the life of one patient, Stanley McCormick, and his journey to McLean, the time he spent there, and his life afterward. My sources for this episode include the book Gracefully Insane by Alex Beam and annual reports from McLean Hospital. Support the show on Beacons: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Support the show on Patreon: http://...

2. 

   11 May 2026

   Ep. 101: McLean Psychiatric Hospital, Part 1 (1818-1896)

   Send us Fan Mail This week's episode looks at the early years of McLean Psychiatric Hospital, originally called the Charlestown Asylum and Somerville Asylum. Find out what caused a delay in the funding and building of the asylum, as well as who was part of the original board of trustees. Learn about the man whose namesake has become synonymous with the history of the hospital. And discover how McLean Hospital became known as a treatment facility for the wealthy. My main sources include the bo...

3. 

   20 Jan 2026

   Ep. 100: History of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Part 3 (1940-2026)

   Send us a text IT'S MY 100th EPISODE!!! This week we wrap up the history of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and find out which treatment was used over a two-week period in an attempt to discharge patients quickly from the hospital. Discover how nine patients from the criminally insane ward escaped. And learn about how the asylum came back to life after it closed its doors in 1994. My main source is The Haunted History of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum by Sherri Brake. All other sources...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

63 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

96 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

35

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

92

Contact Behind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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