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Following the publication of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability, the rights and situation of people with disabilities have once again become a focus of national, European and international policy and advocacy. Mansell et al., (2007) identified that there were over 1million people with disabilities in Europe living in institutions of over 30 places in size and almost 1.4 million in some form of residential care. This paper reports findings from a review of national and international sources of data on living situation for 27 European countries as of 2019. Although there had been some changes, especially for children and especially in countries where EU structural funds had been used, there were still 1.4 million people living in residential care, with many still for more than 30 people. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities were those who were most likely to still be in residential services. We consider some of the potential reasons for these findings and discuss what might be needed to really advance deinstitutionalisation. People with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else to live in the community. This paper looks at where people with disabilities live and how this has changed over time. We found that many people with disabilities still live in institutions and that the number had not changed much since 2007. There have been more changes for children than adults. Fewer children now live in institutions. People with intellectual disabilities are most likely to still live in institutions and least likely to be living and participating in the community. Many countries in Europe still do not have good information about where people with disabilities live and whether they have choice and control or are active citizens. There was more change in countries which had received money from the European Union. However, in many countries, there were no plans for how to help more people to live in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how an intersection of critical cultural disability studies and rhetorical studies can inform a critical education on 'mental health (problems)' for psychology students. Building on cultural theories of disability/impairment, a conception of 'mental health (problems)' as culturally constituted is introduced. We propose the rhetorical perspective as a particularly relevant analytical and pedagogical approach to enable students to critically reflect on the cultural assumptions underpinning various (professional) understandings of 'mental health (problems)'. Our contribution is based on a research project in which clinical psychology students rhetorically analysed cultural constructions of 'mental health (problems)' in a graphic novel on 'bipolar disorder'. Based on a qualitative analysis of students' reflective reports, we argue that rhetorical perspectives enable students to develop reflexive stances towards the different cultural logics, and the ethical and political ramifications of these logics, in which psychological practice and knowledge on 'mental health (problems)' are inevitably embedded. This article argues that clinical psychology students need to think critically about the language they use to think and talk about mental health problems because this language has an impact on their beliefs, attitudes and actions towards people experiencing mental health problems. Educators can support students in this endeavour by introducing them to stories that challenge some of the dominant ways society thinks and talks about mental health problems, for example by working with stories or art work of survivors. In this study, clinical psychology students read an autobiographical graphic novel on 'bipolar disorder'. The graphic novel made students reflect on how the main character in the novel experiences mental health problems, on their personal and professional assumptions about mental health problems, and on dominant societal assumptions about mental health problems and their impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital media have become integral to the everyday life of people with disabilities. So far, research about disability and digital media use is rather scarce and narrowed on issues of accessibility and social media. This paper draws on qualitative interviews with people with visual or motoric impairments to provide an in-depth analysis of their everyday experiences relating to barriers and benefits of digital media. The findings reproduce previously identified barriers and extend these by adding novel sub-aspects of individual cognitive and attitudinal barriers like non-use of digital media due to their (perceived) complexity and a feeling of greater dependence on digital technology. However, the results also shed light on highly individualized ways that people with disabilities actively make use of digital media to improve their daily life. Despite persisting and new barriers, the general findings suggest that, with the appropriate training and support, digital media are largely beneficial. About 15 percent of the population worldwide are directly concerned by the issue of disability and digital media (for example smartphones, apps, online news). In this study, forty people with visual or motoric impairments were interviewed about their everyday experiences with digital media. They reported both benefits and problems of digital technology. Benefits: digital media allow people with disabilities to lead a more independent life; for example, shopping without assistance, reading the newspaper, or using social media. Problems: fear of technology, feeling dependent on digital devices, and lack of know-how are obstacles for digital media use. Increasingly complex websites and apps create additional barriers. A solution would be individual support and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nPoints of interestMental health peer support is a form of care in which people with mental health conditions provide emotional support and education to fellow individuals in recovery, and it is often offered online. Yet little research has considered the social and ethical consequences of providing peer support virtually. Drawing on qualitative data on peer support at mental health agencies across Ohio, this paper argues that the move to online platforms like Zoom led to concerns around boundaries: the rules within personal relationships between people giving and receiving support. In particular, the shift to virtual delivery of peer support posed new questions around privacy and communication. I assert that understanding boundaries in virtual settings is critically important to the field of disability studies, as scholars, activists, and practitioners document and analyze the nature of interdependent care relationships that unfold across a variety of social contexts.Mental health peer support is expanding as a form of care for mental health conditions, yet there is little research on peer support ethics‘Boundaries’ are the rules we set in relationships between people receiving and giving support, which can change in online settings like ZoomEthics concerns in online peer support include privacy and appropriate use of technology for communicationResearchers and activists should focus on ethics in peer support as an important place where disabled people receive careMental health peer support is expanding as a form of care for mental health conditions, yet there is little research on peer support ethics‘Boundaries’ are the rules we set in relationships between people receiving and giving support, which can change in online settings like ZoomEthics concerns in online peer support include privacy and appropriate use of technology for communicationResearchers and activists should focus on ethics in peer support as an important place where disabled people receive care [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of major social security reform on mental health claimants by analysing the transition to Personal Independence Payment in the UK. Personal Independence Payment was introduced in April 2013, replacing Disability Living Allowance as the main non-means tested disability benefit intended to assist with the additional costs associated with disability or long-term health conditions. It is important to gain a better understanding of how people with mental health problems have experienced this reform. Twelve service users were interviewed for this qualitative research. Analysis identified three main themes: problems with the Personal Independence Payment claims process; problems conveying mental health problems during the assessment process; and positive experiences associated with the transition to Personal Independence Payment. This research demonstrates that major changes in benefit policy are challenging for people with mental health problems, particularly when delivered in a climate of austerity. The UK Government has changed the main disability benefit for disabled adults. From April 2013, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) has been phased out and replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP). This research found that this significant change caused difficulties for people with mental health problems. Everyone who took part reported increased anxiety, problems with claiming PIP, communicating with benefit officials and the medical assessment. It is important to learn from these problems so that future benefit changes, both in the UK and in other countries, can be developed and rolled-out in ways which are more appropriate for people with mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the UK's recent history of promoting the social inclusion and equality of men and women with learning disabilities they remain a significantly disadvantaged group. Compared with their non-disabled peers they are more likely to be unemployed, less likely to own their own homes and are at a significantly greater risk of physical and mental ill health. The first part of this paper discusses the welfare rights of citizens with learning disabilities in terms of New Labour's welfare to work policies. The second part discusses the UK's mixed welfare economy and its impact upon services for men and women with learning disabilities. The paper concludes by considering whether the social inclusion of men and women with learning disabilities can be promoted solely through policies that emphasise inclusion through work and the personalisation of welfare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning with discussion of what constitutes survivor research in Canada, this paper presents the findings of a critical discourse analysis of published accounts of survivor research over the last twenty-five years. Though they are varied, these texts demonstrate a rhetorical shift from a focus on the individual mind/body out to the social world experienced by psychiatric consumer/survivors. Findings indicate that survivor research engages with recovery discourse in numerous, sometimes problematic ways, in order to push back against dominant biomedical and psychiatric discourses. Further, new language is being generated for understanding madness and distress, rooted in a survivor perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many grounds for arguing that people with a range of disabilities have more in common than they have differences. However, those grounds to date have not resulted in a unified social movement. This paper examines one possible reason for that lack of unity: the particular force of being unreasonable in modern society. However, being unreasonable is not limited to those with a psychiatric diagnosis, nor does a lack or loss of reason take a simple common form within that group: it is a highly nuanced and context-specific matter. This complexity is discussed in relation to a set of inter-related questions about legalism, morality and post-enlightenment concerns with order and rationality. The paper concludes with a discussion of scenarios available to new social movements concerned with disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings from a 12-month Australian study exploring beliefs and experiences of disclosure and course success in post-compulsory education for 20 students with mental illness. Enrolled students with disclosed or non-disclosed mental illness, teaching and support staff, and institutional practices across four sites providing vocational education and training were the three cases selected for this collective case study. Students participated in two semi-structured interviews over the course of one academic year. Disclosure was not preferred by students, most fearing that it would negatively impact upon their capacity to obtain employment in the occupation for which they were training. Further research exploring the processes, timing and outcomes of disclosure, in a wide range of post-secondary settings and with larger numbers of students, would allow for a deeper exploration of issues raised by this small study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using evidence from a participatory action research process with over 100 asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland, this study explores participants’ views on mental health problems, stigma and discrimination. The study found that migration can have adverse effects on mental health and well-being, due to racism and the asylum process, and this is worsened by stigma and discrimination. This stigma is influenced by both social and cultural causal factors, including fear, past trauma, isolation, racism and the stress of the asylum process coupled with negative cultural beliefs about mental health problems. The paper considers the international relevance of this approach and the value of a model grounded in principles of community development and grassroots action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medical approach to Asperger syndrome (AS) classifies it as a mental disorder. This paper critically examines the concept of mental illness as specified by the Diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM) in the light of published assessments and accounts of AS provided by a variety of sources. Taken together, these accounts provide further support for reframing AS as a socially constructed human difference rather than a pathology. The demedicalization of homosexuality is offered as one potential model for the nature of the reframing of AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study results from a series of focus groups during which university students, all of whom were diagnosed with disabilities that affect mental or cognitive functioning, met to discuss the challenges that they face, as well as the supports and strategies that help them to surmount social and academic obstacles. Participants had a range of labels including brain injury, neurological impairment, psychiatric disorder and learning disability. Gleaned from transcripts and field notes, this paper makes explicit the processes that students used to develop a self-perception that positively integrates their experience of disability. These complex processes included self-definition of difficulties, coping with limitations, identity management and embracing one's difference. Integration of disability into identity did not appear to be a staged process for these participants. Rather, they considered the implications of being labelled disabled simultaneously and from several perspectives. Findings are discussed in terms of adjustment of two groups whose members have different experiences from those in the majority: survivors of sexual abuse and racial minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we explore what we consider to be the shared concerns of those neurodivergent and/or mad-identified scholars and activists who are seeking to make space for themselves within the academy. In doing so, we consider what critical questions and action people involved in these could address together in ways that move beyond identity-based politics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research participants are crucial to the entire research enterprise, but they are still predominantly conceived as mostly passive, 'silent' partners in the field of research ethics. Participants generally have very limited opportunities to share their lived experiences of participation in research and their views about the ethics of research. This gap is particularly concerning for research participants whose agency is already undermined by unjust social structures, such as individuals living with mental illness. Our study investigates the perspectives on research of mental health research participants and mental health advocates in Canada. We found that many participants had positive experiences of participation in research and valued their experience. The positive impacts of research participation, however, depend the willingness of researchers to actively create an accessible and respectful research environment. People with mental illness who participate in research projects do not often get to talk about their experiences. We think that this is a mistake and that researchers should learn from them. We interviewed 14 research participants and individuals who work to defend the rights of people with mental illness. The research participants said that participating in research had made them feel good. It made them feel respected, valued, and listened to. Participants do not want to feel like "things" or "objects" behind a glass wall. They want to be treated as equals. This research is important because it shows that participating in research can be a positive experience for people with mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US public mental health system is a disability system. By this is meant that public programs for people with mental illness serve consumers who are seriously and chronically ill, functionally disabled and eligible for benefits by virtue of their disability. This study explores, through focus groups and qualitative data analysis, the perceptions of these consumers of their relationships with public sector psychiatrists. Thematic analysis finds relationships of three types - compliance, collaboration and contention - and constituent sub-themes that specify these further. Issues of poverty and powerlessness arise in every category, but especially in contentious relationships. Although the converse is widely believed to be true, this paper argues that the economic and political empowerment of people with psychiatric disabilities is vital to the success of their clinical care [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with psychiatric disabilities represent a growing group within the population of nursing home residents in the USA. Despite a preference for living in community-based settings, the availability of supportive services for community living is hindered by barriers at both the service provision and public policy levels. Therefore, understanding and responding to the community living and participation needs of people with psychiatric disabilities is a highly relevant area for action research. This paper discusses a participatory action research endeavor carried out in collaboration with key personnel at Centers for Independent Living who work to provide community reintegration services for individuals with psychiatric disabilities. The events of this 15 month partnership are extensively described, analyzed and discussed. Findings reflect the critical need for communication, dialogue and action to support people with psychiatric disabilities in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing influx of immigrant families into the USA necessitates an understanding of how these families manage mental health disorders. Few studies have documented the ways in which autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are understood across different immigrant groups. This lack of knowledge creates barriers for practitioners who are encountering immigrant families in their practice. The present paper provides a conceptual framework of how cultural values and beliefs shape the way diagnosis, etiology and treatment of ASD is perceived by both immigrant families and western practitioners and how differences in perspectives may create obstacles in treatment planning. A review of the literature describing practical and cultural barriers to mental health access and research among immigrant populations is also presented. Finally, recommendations are offered to practitioners, families and individuals with ASD to aid in increasing understanding and collaboration among these populations when designing and implementing treatment interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the Appropriate Adult was established to protect the rights of suspects considered 'vulnerable' due to a number of miscarriages of justice during the 1970s. Appropriate Adult services are now a legal requirement in England and Wales for detained adults with mental health issues, learning disabilities or difficulties who have been detained in police custody. The aim of this project was to evaluate the extent and involvement of disabled adults who are or have been in police custody. The study concludes by suggesting the application of a social model approach within police custody, to meet the needs of service users and to avoid any miscarriages of justice. Appropriate Adult services are now a legal requirement in England and Wales for adults detained in police custody who have mental health issues, learning disabilities or difficulties The research explores the role of Appropriate Adult schemes across England and Wales in protecting the rights of disabled people in custody. This study examines whether disabled people's voices are embraced in Appropriate Adult Schemes to improve services and to remove disabling barriers. This study discovered that service user voices were missing from every aspect of Appropriate Adult service provision. The findings suggest that in order to develop an effective criminal justice service for disabled people in custody, service user voices must be incorporated to develop a service which protects the rights of disabled people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Mad' is a contentious term with which many service users/survivors feel uncomfortable. Yet it is the framework for a major new user-led challenge to bio-medical thinking about distress – Mad Studies – which is coming in for criticism for this and other identified shortcomings. Why has it adopted this controversial, conflict-ridden title? This article will explore current criticisms and raise the question of what Mad Studies' strategy should be to address them for the future? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to adequate, safe, secure, accessible and affordable housing is a fundamental human right and one stipulated in the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Australian adults with disabilities experience housing disadvantage including homelessness, poor-quality housing and housing unaffordability; however, we lack a comprehensive comparison of the housing circumstances of people with and without disabilities and differences by impairment type. We analysed data from a nationally representative sample of 11,394 working-aged Australians collected in 2011. We found that people with disabilities experienced disadvantage across all housing indicators, and people with intellectual and psychological disabilities fared worst. These findings suggest that there is a housing crisis for Australians with disabilities, which may intensify with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. There is a need to develop long-term housing solutions that promote independence, are accessible and affordable, and that consider location and neighbourhood context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how mental health service users/consumers, advocates, professionals and researchers interpret and theorise the impacts of mental health news. It focuses on the following themes: Creating fears about mental illness by focusing on criminal and violent acts; Reinforcing power imbalances by privileging biomedical issues and sources; and Sanitising mental health issues through the selective use of personal narratives. The study draws upon the concept of biocommunicability, which casts light on the performative power of health news in reinforcing ideas and expectations about the appropriate role for different actors to adopt in relation to health knowledge. Previous research on health news has identified biomedical authority, patient-consumer and public sphere as three predominant models of biocommunicability and this article examines how these are bound up with criticisms of mental health news. The findings are related to the 'mediatisation of psychiatric culture' as one of extremes and perspectives from Mad Studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The omnipresent psychiatric narrative of mental illness has always had its counter-narrative – the life stories of people labelled mad. The relationship between these two accounts has always been one of domination: mad voices have been – and continue to be – not heard, overwritten, silenced or even erased in the course of psychiatric treatment. As survivor researchers who have had these kinds of experiences, we wish to discuss parallels between this tradition and some contemporary academic efforts that claim to disrupt it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this project is to better understand poverty and social exclusion of psychiatric survivors using a capabilities approach to social justice as part of a larger mixed-methods longitudinal study (N=380) in Ontario, Canada. Using thematic coding, four themes emerged: poverty, ‘You just try to survive’; stigma, ‘People treat you like trash’; belonging, ‘You feel like you don’t belong’; and shared concern and advocacy, ‘Everyone deserves housing’. This analysis provides a deeper understanding of poverty and other social determinants of experiences of psychiatric survivors, including the synergism of poverty and social exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents research findings that suggest there is a further dimension to be added to existing understandings of workplace disclosure of common mental health problems. Experiences of participants in two recent studies on mental health and employment illustrated that, firstly, while people may talk to their employer about emotional distress in general terms, they do not necessarily discuss the effects on their mental health in medicalised language. Secondly, people may not mention anything at all because they do not perceive what they are experiencing as a 'mental health' issue that might warrant the involvement of their employer. These findings raise questions about conceptualisations of mental health. The article suggests that an enhanced focus in public and policy discourse on concepts of mental well-being and positive mental health, as matters of universal relevance, may lead to earlier recognition of and better support for common mental health problems at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What are some of the implications of the various ways in which contemporary allopathic medicine is presumably 'treating' or aiming to 'prevent' the development of certain mental health 'concerns', often labeled 'illnesses'? In this essay the co-authors adopt the position that 'mainstream' medicine seems to be taking some dangerous turns and that these turns have serious potential consequences for human variance and diversity. The authors believe that genetic testing and medication for bipolar disorder are problematic illustrations of the ways in which a 'brave new world' is now being foreshadowed and, unfortunately, will perhaps be realized in the near future. In order to frame our discussion, we incorporate close readings of literary and cinematic texts. The essay is situated by a discussion regarding 'mentalism' and the consumer/survivor/ex-patient rights and disability rights movements. Specific implications for the fields of social work, rehabilitation and mental health practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the friendship experiences and aspirations of adults with intellectual disabilities. The findings of a larger study were reviewed by an expert group of self‐advocates with intellectual disability. The expert group confirmed some of the interpretation of the original data and expanded on issues. Friendship is established as an issue of concern among adults with intellectual disability. Consequently, policy‐makers and service providers need to be intentional about providing support for friendships. Participants asserted a positive self‐identity of being a person with intellectual disability and how this could be a basis for friendship. Also, people with intellectual disability demonstrated how they should be considered experts in their own life experience and how they can be effectively included in the formulation, implementation, analysis and review of research.†In memory of our dear friend Allison J. Dewing‐Moore, died 3 November 2005. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on interviews with 21 institutional survivors who lived until the mid- to late-1980s in a total institution for the ‘training and care’ of ‘mental defectives’, operating in Alberta, Canada. The focus is on survivors’ descriptions of ‘Time-Out Rooms’, used to discipline unruly and escaped inmates. Foucault’s theories about the disciplinary properties of modern society, the use of the gaze, technologies of the self and scientific discourse are both supported and complicated by survivor narratives. In addition, the work of Erving Goffman is examined in terms of the process of dehumanization in total institutions. Ties between institutional practices and eugenics are speculated upon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many women with intellectual disability become the victims of sexual assault. Despite this, anecdotal evidence suggests that few cases are prosecuted. This qualitative study looks at the barriers that arise at the crucial first step toward the prosecution of a complaint - making a statement to the police. In this study, sexual assault workers and members of the New South Wales police service in the greater Sydney area, Australia, were interviewed to identify the barriers that arise when women with intellectual disability decide to make a statement to police following sexual assault. The study's findings demonstrate a need for greater awareness within the police service of police policies and procedures, and legislation, as well as greater co-operation between the police service and other organisations, which have an impact on the lives of women with intellectual disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article forms a reflexive account of the trials, pains and joys of the launch of a hearing researcher into 'Deaf Culture'--the unique world of British Sign Language (BSL) users. Three resources of reflexive data are utilised; the researcher's experiences of learning BSL with other hearing signers; participant observation data from a Unit for Deaf people with psychiatric problems and finally, experiences of interviewing members of a national organisation of Deaf people. These experiences reflect the assumptions and preconceptions the hearing world holds concerning Deaf people and the remarkable ways in which the latter rationalise them and attempt to subvert them. The intellectual issues addressed here concern the role and status of researchers within foreign settings, the problems of enculturisation and the physical and social effects experienced whilst undertaking this type of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]