Madness strikes back

Abstract

This commentary is concerned with the involvement of mental health service users in research. It will argue that research carried out by service users is one way of giving voice to a previously silenced group-the mad. It is one way in which 'Madness Strikes Back'. The main theoretical model to be used is that of the early Foucault. I will not be concerned with what has become known as 'Foucauldian discourse analysis' since nowhere in Foucault's writing is there reference to conversation or talk. I will, however, be concerned with power as mental health service users are amongst the most disempowered of groups in all societies. I will also be concerned with Foucault's claim that, since the Enlightenment, madness has been positioned as the antithesis of reason, as 'unreason'. This distinction can be argued to persist in the field of research.

Australian mental health consumers’ priorities for research: Qualitative findings from the SCOPE for Research project

“…The current study was also designed and conducted by consumer researchers. As Rose 15 described it, the ‘double identity’ of consumer and researcher can be difficult to manage, but both the researchers and the participants in the SCOPE for Research project felt that this made the researchers more ‘connected’ with the discussions and more likely to understand the issues because of a shared perspective. As suggested by Rose et al ., 12 this perception of the researchers as part of the group rather than a professional outsider may have encouraged participants to be more forthcoming and discuss issues in greater depth.…”

Patient involvement in mental health care: one size does not fit all

“…A tendency to self‐organization and self‐determination has been another element, with a contiguous emphasis on empowerment, civil rights 1,2 and autonomy. The user/survivor movement was an additional impetus 3 . Several innovations in health‐care practices further paved the way: patient‐centeredness, deinstitutionalization and community‐based care 4 .…”

Les pairs-assistants de recherche : pour favoriser l’évolution d’un statut de patients vers celui de citoyens à part entière

“…: Cockburn et Trentham, 2002 ;Faulkner, 2008). Cette participation permettrait également de remettre en question les prémisses et les paradigmes de la recherche (Rose, 2008) ainsi que les modèles d'intervention actuellement prédominants et encore trop souvent teintés de paternalisme (Staley et Minogue, 2006). L'engagement des pairs-assistants de recherche favoriserait le recrutement et la rétention de participants (ex.…”