Purpose of review: The work of the French philosopher and historian, Michel Foucault, often dealt with subjects either directly or indirectly related to psychiatry. In the past, his work has been largely ignored or rejected by mainstream psychiatry.
Recent findings: In the period under review, two important English translations of Foucault's work on psychiatry have been published. Our review focuses on these books, and also looks at some of the recent secondary literature relating to Foucault and mental health.
Summary: We argue that psychiatry has a lot to gain from a positive engagement with Foucault's ideas.