The Different Faces of the Anti-Psychiatry Movement

Anti-psychiatry is a loose social movement that first emerged in the 1960s in Europe and the US, and it began as an ideological response to the treatment of mental illness in asylums at the time. Those supporting the movement were concerned about the poor conditions of many of these asylums, as well as the abusive…

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The Importance of Designing Cities With Mental Health in Mind

Your physical environment can have a powerful impact on your mental health. When we think about the manifold factors that affect our well-being, the space that we inhabit every day often gets overlooked. But this is a mistake. Most of us are city dwellers – and research shows that living in cities is associated with…

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Can You Accurately Self-Diagnose a Mental Health Condition?

How can you know if a distressing state of mind you’re experiencing is a sign of a mental health condition or is something within the parameters of so-called ‘normal’, non-pathological human experience? This is an extremely thorny question – and for any individuals asking themselves it, in such times of distress, no solid, unwavering answers…

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The Link Between Mass Media and Mental Health Stigma

Silence and invisibility do not mean that mental illnesses are non-existent. It’s these very characteristics of mental illnesses that blind our perceptions into thinking that they are mere fabrications. In most cases, this is the reason why you will not really know if someone is suffering from a mental illness. Your co-workers may be mentally…

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The Stigmatisation of Mental Illness in Hollywood Films

Mental illness is often highly stigmatised in movies and television. People who have legitimate mental health conditions are unfairly portrayed in many Hollywood films. One particular example of the harsh depiction of someone with mental illness is M. Night Shyamalan’s movie Split. In the movie, James McAvoy plays a villain who has 24 distinct personalities,…

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