Experiential Knowledge in Mental Health Research

Tuesday, 8 July 2025: 13:00-14:45
Location: FSE020 (Faculty of Education Sciences (FSE))
RC49 Mental Health and Illness (host committee)

Language: English

The role of experiential knowledge in mental health research has been pivotal in challenging traditional paradigms of knowledge production. From the foundation of ‘survivor research’ to the evolving field of ‘mad studies’, research led by or developed with survivors provides critical insights that reshape our understanding of mental distress and the responses to it. This body of work often critiques individualistic explanations of madness and distress, shedding light on the social and structural problems that contribute to the marginalisation and oppression of those experiencing mental health issues.

This session welcomes papers focusing on epistemological and methodological reflections, personal narratives and lived experiences, advocacy and activism, as well as creative and innovative methods of co-production.

Session Organizer:
Lynn TANG, Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom
Chair:
Lynn TANG, Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom
Oral Presentations
Engagement, Lived Experience and Qualitative Sociology in Health Research: Proximal, but Incongruent.
Cristian MONTENEGRO, King's College London, United Kingdom; Judy GREEN, JUDY, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
An Ethics of Care As Anti-Sanist and Anti-Racist Research Practice
Idil ABDILLAHI, Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada; Brenda LEFRANCOIS, Memorial University, Newfoundland, Canada