Critical Thinking Stop Point 13.1

Possible answer to: What do you think is the value of sociological understandings of mental health?

There isn’t really any right or wrong answer here, as this can be a matter of opinion. You may, however, have considered that the human experiences accounted for by concepts of mental health and illness are best understood in social terms. You may also think that individuals experiencing mental distress may then be best helped and supported by social means; either through positive relationships or tackling the social causes of distress. If you think this way, you are probably favouring a social model of mental health rather than a medical model.

Possible answer to: Think about which of the concluding arguments for understanding mental health and healthcare measures in society. Which do you prefer? How might mental health services be organised differently if they were to follow the implications of your preferred perspective?

Again, this is a matter of preference in the first instance, so there is no hard and fast answer.

If you lean towards a social model, as the authors do, then you will probably favour a raft of social and economic measures to tackle inequality and disadvantage within society. You may also concern yourself with fighting stigma, but realise that some anti-stigma campaigns may work to reproduce medical definitions, which are in and of themselves stigmatising. Ultimately, people who favour social understandings tend to support relational models of care. This is a general point taken up at length in the book.