The value of doing philosophy in mental health contexts.
Sophie Stammers, Rosalind Pulvermacher
Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy December 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1007/s11019-020-09961-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | People with lived experience of mental distress or unusual beliefs and experiences; mental health advocates; and mental health service providers such as counsellors, psychologists, and psychiatrists |
| Intervention | 'Philosophy of mind' workshops |
| Keywords | Humans Social isolation Mental disorders Mental health services Philosophy, medical Health personnel Vulnerable populations Social stigma Epistemic injustice Mental health advocacy Philosophy groups |
| Key findings | The authors argue that philosophy of mind workshops, run with a mental health organisation, offer structured discussion of experiences and models, dialogue across mental health backgrounds, potential reductions in self-stigma and gains in self-understanding and advocacy, and potential alleviation of some epistemic injustice. They invite further research to establish whether these benefits generalise. |
Abstract
People experiencing mental distress and illness are frequently on the receiving end of stigma, epistemic injustice, and social isolation. A range of strategies are required to alleviate the subsequent marginalisation. We ran a series 'philosophy of mind' workshops, in partnership with a third-sector mental health organisation with the aim of using philosophical techniques to challenge mental health stigma and build resources for self-understanding and advocacy. Participants were those with lived experience of mental distress, or unusual beliefs and experiences; mental health advocates; and mental health service providers (such as counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists). We draw on a shared perspective as a participant and facilitator of the workshop series to assess their impact. We discuss the following benefits: (i) the opportunity for structured discussion of experiences and models; (ii) dialogue across different mental health backgrounds; (iii) the potential to reduce self-stigma and to increase self-understanding and advocacy; and (iv) the potential to alleviate (some) epistemic injustice. We invite researchers and mental health practitioners to consider further opportunities to investigate the potential benefits of philosophy groups in mental health settings to establish whether they generalise.