Changing the Context – Understanding Mental Health

Thursday 23 July 2.30 pm – 4.30 pm

Dominant discourses around mental health present the ‘problem’ of mental health as being located within the individual, disconnected from their wider social, economic, political and environmental contexts. The solution that follows is to focus on the individual, to ‘fix the disorder’.

While government’s mental health policies and action plans refer to the existence of health inequalities, they provide no analysis as to cause of these inequalities and so fail to address the underlying structural context.

This webinar will explore how we can shift the dominant narrative to a new understanding of mental health, a holistic, connected one that looks at major determinants of mental health – the causes of suffering and trauma such as poverty, discrimination, inequality and violence.

It will also hear from grassroots activists of their efforts to develop an alternative narrative, one aimed at altering existing power relationships and at promoting connectedness.

This webinar is the first in a series of three inter-linked webinars on the theme of ‘Mental Health – Time for a Paradigm Shift’.
For more details on our series of webinars please click below:
https://www.nlb.ie/scrutiny/post/mental-health-time-paradigm-shift/

Guest speakers include:
Dr. Sally Zlotowitz – Clinical and Community Psychologist, Psychologists for Social Change
Christine Rocks – #123GP Activist
Jo Watson – Psychotherapist and Activist @dropthedisorder

If you would like to participate please click here to register

Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR) puts the power of human rights at the service of those who need it most.

We support marginalised people to assert their rights in practical ways and make real social and economic change in their communities.Located in Belfast, PPR supports groups in using our unique Human Rights Based Approach to tackle the issues challenging them.