Dennis O'Donnell

Crammed full of vivid anecdotes and careful observations that run from terrifying to laugh-out-loud to exquisitely painful...a valuable contribution to the literature of madness

Observant, modest, lightly erudite and heavily self-deprecating...an informative read.

I really enjoyed The Locked Ward. He is compassionate without any taint of sentimentality, and the way he uses language is so elastic. It's like he's the most brilliant court-jester in the most colourful of courts. Bravo to him!

His tone is just right - perfect for the subject matter. He's like a very good documentary maker; he knows exactly where to point the camera

We come away with a better understanding of life on a locked ward, and the book should contribute to a more open discussion of mental illness and suicide

O’Donnell, a man of great patience and goodwill, describes the job beautifully… This is a superb study of people whose minds have gone wrong, and the art of caring for them

A worthy addition to the memoir genre which should help to remove some of the fear and stigma surrounding mental health conditions

This book is packed with witty insights and humorous moments… Makes for excellent bedtime reading

A humane and revealing account of life on the frontlines of mental health care.

An extraordinary account of a nurse's life behind the locked doors of a secure psychiatric ward. 
 
Dennis O'Donnell started work as an orderly in the Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit of a large hospital in Scotland in 2000. In his daily life he encountered fear, violence and despair but also a considerable amount of care and compassion. Recounting the stories of the patients he worked with, and those of his colleagues on the ward, here he examines major mental health conditions, methods of treatment - medication, how religion, sex, wealth, health and drugs can bear influence on mental health, the prevailing attitudes to psychiatric illness, the authorities, the professionals &amp; society. 
 
 What emerges is a document of humanity and humour, a remarkable memoir that sheds light on a world that still remains largely unknown. 
 
'This is a superb study of people whose minds have gone wrong, and the art of caring for them' Evening Standard

Dennis O'Donnell

Praise for The Locked Ward

Crammed full of vivid anecdotes and careful observations that run from terrifying to laugh-out-loud to exquisitely painful...a valuable contribution to the literature of madness

Observant, modest, lightly erudite and heavily self-deprecating...an informative read.

I really enjoyed The Locked Ward. He is compassionate without any taint of sentimentality, and the way he uses language is so elastic. It's like he's the most brilliant court-jester in the most colourful of c ...

Crammed full of vivid anecdotes and careful observations that run from terrifying to laugh-out-loud to exquisitely painful...a valuable contribution to the literature of madness

Observant, modest, lightly erudite and heavily self-deprecating...an informative read.

I really enjoyed The Locked Ward. He is compassionate without any taint of sentimentality, and the way he uses language is so elastic. It's like he's the most brilliant court-jester in the most colourful of c ...

Crammed full of vivid anecdotes and careful observations that run from terrifying to laugh-out-loud to exquisitely painful...a valuable contribution to the literature of madness

Observant, modest, lightly erudite and heavily self-deprecating...an informative read.

I really enjoyed The Locked Ward. He is compassionate without any taint of sentimentality, and the way he uses language is so elastic. It's like he's the most brilliant court-jester in the most colourful of c ...

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