REPLY TO DUNHAM AND MECHANIC.

The article presents the author's response to the comments made by sociologists H. Warren Dunham and David Mechanic, to his article "Societal Reactions As an Explanation of Mental Illness," published in the October 1970 issue of the journal "American Sociological Review." According to the author, while he feel the societal reaction explanation of mental illness is largely incorrect, he is in agreement with Dunham that the social expectations of others are important in determining behavior, including deviant behavior. Moreover, according to the author, regarding Mechanic's comments, he would like to note that he does not consider patient flow as static, and he doubts that anyone familiar with the recent history of psychiatric hospitalization would. Probably the most drastic change in patient flow has been the recent increase in the admission rates that has been associated with the marked improvements in psychiatric treatment. According to the author, Mechanic's clarification indirectly gives further support for his position that the societal reaction perspective does not provide an adequate general explanation of mental illness.