Mental health is increasingly being recognized as an issue in Canada and globally. It is estimated that one in four Canadians will experience a mental health challenge at some point in their lives. However, issues of equity, power, human rights and access continue to impact people who seek mental health supports and a narrow (and often coercive) medical model of treatment largely excludes options for social integration, artistic expression, exercise and mediation, peer support, community activism and advocacy. Service users are rarely consulted in creating supports or in meaningful ways during the treatment process, though models from other areas of health and social service delivery indicate that these would be fruitful areas for change.
This research cluster mobilizes and facilitates York research that critically examines mental health using social justice paradigms. It offers a critical supplementary support to the York 2016 Mental Health Strategy. Working in conjunction with and in support of the Madness Canada/ Folie Canada website and its associated projects, we privilege perspectives of people with lived experience of mental health services, user advocacy and activism, and holistic forms of treatment that mobilize an intersectional analysis. It is intended that this research cluster will draw on the energy not just of York researchers and graduate students, but also of interested community activists and service providers from across the Greater Toronto area.
Directory of Cluster Members
Simon Adam, Assistant Professor, Health/Nursing, siadam@yorku.ca
Megan Davies, Co-lead CPM / Associate Professor, LA&PS/Health & Society / Faculty Associate daviesmj@yorku.ca
Cindy Jiang, Ph.D. Student, School of Health Policy and Management, Critical Disability Studies / Research Associate cindyj@yorku.ca
Maria Liegghio, Associate Professor, LA&PS/Social Work / Faculty Associate mlieg@yorku.ca
Marcel Martel, Professor, LA&PS/History / Faculty Associate mmartel@yorku.ca
Marina Morrow, Co-lead CPM /Professor, Health/School of Health and Policy Management / Faculty Associate, mmmorrow@yorku.ca
Kendra-Ann Pitt, Assistant Professor, LA&PS/ Social Work, pittkann@yorku.ca
Audrey Pyée, Associate Professor, Glendon/ History / Faculty Associate apyee@yorku.ca
Geoffrey Reaume, Associate Professor, Health/School of Health and Policy Management / Faculty Associate, greaume@yorku.ca
Alexandra Rutherford, Associate Professor, Health/ Psychology, alexr@yorku.ca
Cheryl L van Daalen-Smith, Associate Professor, Health/Nursing, cvandaal@yorku.ca