John Foot's book on psychiatrist Franco Basaglia's movement to reform Italy's psychiatric hospitals ends with the passing of Law 180 in 1978 to close down asylums (see A. Tone Nature 524, 290; 2015). Sadly, the law was poorly implemented owing to woefully inadequate resources.

Families received little or no support in caring for those who returned home. For some it was too much, forcing general hospitals to take up the slack. Psychiatrists found their hands tied when confronted with people who were seriously mentally ill, so many ended up in prison stigmatized as criminals.

Even Basaglia's widow, Franca Ongaro Basaglia — a core member of the reform movement and later an Italian senator — described Law 180 as a failure.