Mental health services that empower women

Responding to the mental health and well-being agenda in adult community learning

“…These perspectives can help adult learners, 'investigate critically their economic and social circumstances as a basis for any subsequent learning, agency or active citizenship' (Johnston 2003, 13). They can facilitate awareness of, and action to counteract, the ways in which social injustice and power inequalities impact mental health (see Thompson 1997;Williams 2005;Williams and Watson 1996). As this research demonstrates, mental health ACL can be used to engage adult learners with the social sciences as well as other subject areas, the aim being to find 'the point of connection between [people's] direct concerns and wider social context and action' (Caldwell 2013, 40-41).…”

“…(focus group 2) This extract illustrates the value of the adult learning in providing a 'chance to find shared realities' with others as a valuable source of therapeutic support (Williams 2005, 156) as well as educational development (Thompson 1997) and how informal contact among adult learners can help counter the personalisation of problems and self-blame for women. However, it also highlights the need for mental health ACL provision in the area of 'personal development' to deal constructively with domestic violence and abuse as a gendered, sociopolitical problem and to help develop empowering understandings of mental health for women (see Fenner 1999;Morgan 2007;Patiniotis and White 2011;Thompson 1997;Williams and Lindley 1996;Williams and Watson 1996).…”

Going social: Championing a holistic model of mental distress within professional education

“…Research with problematic voice hearing experiences indicates that the majority of people with diagnoses of schizophrenia and dissociative disorder could link the onset to some previous and speci able trauma (Romme et al, 1994). Physically and psychologically invasive acts such as sexual or emotional abuse-particularly when there was little support available to the victim at the time-would seem to be particularly frequent precursors of experiences of mental distress (Ensink, 1992;Mullen et al, 1993;Staples & Dare, 1996;Williams & Watson, 1996). Other events, such as abandonment, bereavement or witnessing domestic violence may also be experienced as traumatic in this sense (see, for example, Brown, 1996;Perry et al, 1990).…”

Developing an understanding of gender sensitive care: exploring concepts and knowledge

“…Gender sensitive care can adopt the principles of feminist praxis, leading to sharing experience, and non hierarchical relationships between client and professionals (Webb 1986, Keddy 1995). Feminist mental health workers have used their own experiences of powerlessness and oppression to make connections with other women and to develop practice (Burstow 1992, Holland 1996, Williams & Watson 1996), but feminist approaches to care can also support men in recognizing the influence of assumptions about male and female roles on behaviour (Eisner & Wright 1986, Miers 2000).…”