Language of Psychiatry in Everyday Life, Marketing, Media and Politics
Country
Poland
Project Description
The project covers a series of "round table" discussions in groups consisting of people with psychiatric history (ex-users and users of psychiatry) as well as professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, social workers, nurses, specialists in linguistics, philosophers and scientists involved in communication studies, marketing specialists), journalists and politicians. Conclusions from the previous series of discussions are also taken into account in their subsequent rounds. Discussions are tape-recorded, authorised and published.
The project is realised by the Coalition for Mental Health and TOPOS Centre, in co-operation with other NGOs and different supporting stakeholders (for example the Warsaw Royal Castle Museum).
Project Aims
The basic aims of the project are expressed in its subtitle: overcoming social exclusion at the level of education, information and knowledge systems. In contemporary societies these factors have a decisive influence on social exclusion in other areas (for example in the area of employment).
The content analysis of the records of the discussions indicates hidden links between social exclusion and some social clichés and stereotypes concerning mental illness and mentally ill persons. Such stereotypes and clichés often become inherent constituents of self-identity of many people. This also refers to people with diagnosis of mental illness and has an impact on their ability to cope with their problems and to develop a recovery approach.
Social exclusion means, first of all, exclusion from participation in social communication. The project creates opportunities for people with mental health problems to participate in public discussions and to initiate social dialogue on crucial questions related to social exclusion and inclusion.
The project aims also include:
- describing and making apparent to the wider public clashes and conflicts of opinions, beliefs and valuations concerning social exclusion and inclusion and their impact on education, information and knowledge systems.
- showing, that such conflicts could be solved in an open way, by discussion and introduction of a more reflective approach to these areas of social life, which are governed by social stereotypes.
- Existing practice of discourse between professionals in mental health and "lay" persons is usually somewhat paternalistic. The project is aimed at organising discussions on a partnership basis and at creating friendly relations between participants. It is expected that participants of the discussions will play significant roles in changing information, knowledge and education systems concerning mental health.
- the most desired effects of the project are innovative activities, inspired by the discussions (or by reports from discussions), changing the real life of people with mental health problems and their families, helping them to overcome social exclusion in different areas (education, employment, housing, etc.). For people with mental health problems and their families participation in the project means sometimes learning about possibilities of successful living with the disease and a recovery approach.
Areas
Education
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of the project is measured by questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. It is assumed that participation in such a form of social dialogue has long-lasting effects. Such participation can bring about transfer of information, knowledge and skills as well as a shift of attitudes and values. An impact of printed publications and especially internet publications is not as strong as personal participation in a debate, but publications are addressed to a wider range of interested people.
Sustainability
The project belongs to the important wave of activities of large groups in contemporary societies, involved in building more coherent, clear and verifiable information and knowledge systems on mental health and their application in education systems. The long lasting effects of the project are connected with the application of publications produced in its framework as educational materials and a starting point of other, similar projects. Long-lasting effects of the project are also related to "experienced knowledge" of individual participants. Even small changes in experienced knowledge may have a significant impact on activities and forms of participation in everyday life situations that enable people to overcome social exclusion.
Innovation
Topics included in the project were usually discussed only in literary circles or among mental health professionals. In the framework of the project new participants were introduced and acknowledged as partners in such discussions.
A new approach to solving conflicts of opinions, beliefs and valuations in the area of mental health has been developed.
Added Value
Some round table discussions organised in the framework of the project became a kind of a "theatre" and appeared to be very attractive to participants and to observers. The discussions became a pattern for many similar events, organised by interested organisations and were repeated many times.
Transferability
Such projects are transferable to different social contexts, but success is only possible in some cultural conditions.
Mainstreaming Potential
In case of this project mainstreaming means, a/o:
- its impact on education systems (a/o different forms of health education and education of professionals);
- its impact on conflict resolution by open discussion; hidden clashes, games and fights are normal in many areas of social life, a/o in the area of social exclusion and inclusion; a culture of "open discussion" develops slowly, but seems to be very effective in contemporary societies;
- its potential impact on language of public discourse, language of marketing and political debates;
- its potential impact on self-awareness or self-identity of users and professionals in the area of mental health and health care;
- bringing about better, more sophisticated articulation of inclusion approach in civil society and local communities
Costs of the Project
All interested people participated in the project on a honorary basis (including professors of psychiatry, linguistics, etc.).
Rooms in the Warsaw Royal Castle were offered at very little (symbolic) costs; tea and coffee during the breaks was accessible in Castle's restaurant. It was only necessary to cover postal expenses and some editorial and publishing expenses.
It would be much easier to organise such a project and especially to spread out its results having indispensable resources.
People involved in the Project
About 30 persons participated in the round table discussions as speakers and about 400 as observers.
Professions of participants:
- computer specialists, actors, musicians, teachers, farmers, clerks, etc.
- psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, social workers, nurses, specialists in linguistics, philosophers and scientists involved in communication studies, marketing specialists
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Project
Strengths: Spontaneity and experience of many participants, among them so called "users and ex-users" of psychiatry. Both participants and observers of discussions enjoyed the meetings. Discussions were really interesting for all participants. Some participants described them as similar to a theatre play. Some users and especially family members of mentally ill people reported the experience of something like catharsis.
Involvement and support of many people from literary circles and professors of psychiatry and linguistics, of journalists, etc.
Some selected papers (or parts of them), prepared by winners of the competition "Mental health - our problem", played an important role as a background for discussions.
Weaknesses: Insufficient resources to involve some paid technical assistants and "PR" specialists. Such means would help to achieve broader and better effects, especially in relation to marketing.
Contact Person for the Project
Aleksander Samołuk
Mira Montana - Czerniawska
Czesław Czabała