From Mental Health Industry to Humane Care. Suggestions for an Alternative Systemic Approach to Distress

Radosław Stupak and Bartłomiej Dobroczyński
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Radosław Stupak: Institute of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, 52 Grodzka St., PL 31044 Kraków, Poland
Bartłomiej Dobroczyński: Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, 6 Ingardena St., PL 30060 Kraków, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: The article proposes a rough outline of an alternative systemic approach to mental health issues and of a more humane mental health care system. It suggests focusing on understanding mental distress as stemming from problems in living, using medications as agents facilitating psychotherapy, or as a last resort and short-term help, according to the principles of harm reduction. It argues that understanding drugs as psychoactive substances and studying the subjective effects they produce could lead to better utilization of medications and improvements in terms of conceptualizing and assessing treatment effects. Qualitative research could be particularly useful in that regard. It also advocates a radical departure from current diagnostic systems and proposes a synthesis of already existing alternatives to be used for both research and clinical purposes. Accordingly, a general idea for an alternative mental health care system, based on a combination of Open Dialogue Approach, Soteria houses, individual and group psychotherapy, cautious prescribing, services helping with drug discontinuation, peer-led services and social support is presented. The proposition could be seen as a first step towards developing a systemic alternative that could replace the currently dominating approach instead of focusing on implementing partial solutions that can be co-opted by the current one.

Keywords: open dialogue approach; soteria; power threat meaning framework; drug-centered approach; mental health reform; critical psychiatry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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