Synthesized answer
The central thesis of this book is that the institution, rather than the illness, is the most significant factor in shaping a mental-hospital patient [1]. The book posits that the reactions and adjustments of these patients are comparable to those of inmates in other kinds of institutions [1].
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
Title: Asylums. Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates by Erving Goffman --- Google Books --- Title: Asylums by Erving Goffman Description: "It is the thesis of this book that the most important factor in forming a mental-hospital patient is his institution, not his illness, and that his reactions and adjustments are those of inmates in other types of institutions as well"--Cover Categories: Medical Pages: 408 Snippet: It is the thesis of this book that the most important factor in forming a mental-hospital patient is the institution, not the illness, and…