Challenging ideas in mental health

Introduction

This unit takes you on a journey of discovery where you are invited to challenge ideas, both new and old, in relation to mental health. It is made up of a series of three extracts. The first extract, ‘Boundaries of explanation’, sets out the theme of boundaries: boundaries within and between groups; within and between explanatory frameworks; and within and between experiences of mental health and distress. The second extract, ‘Whose risk is it anyway?’, considers a critical account of the increasing focus on risk (particularly risk to others) in policies and professional practice since the 1980s. The third extract, ‘The business of madness’, looks at two controversial areas of mental health: the growth of mental health as a business, driven in part by market forces, and the profit motive.

This unit is an adapted extract from the Open University course Challenging ideas in mental health (K272) [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]