What are the major obstacles preventing a shift towards a more psycho-social approach to people with distressing psychotic experiences?

Why do bio-medical approaches continue to dominate the way Western societies make sense of psychotic experiences? There is now a substantial body of evidence demonstrating that construing psychosis as an ‘illness like any... [ view full abstract ]

Why do bio-medical approaches continue to dominate the way Western societies make sense of psychotic experiences?

There is now a substantial body of evidence demonstrating that construing psychosis as an ‘illness like any other’ is associated with a number of important disadvantages for those seeking help from services. The negative consequences of this doctrine include: more stigma and social exclusion; excessive use of psychotropic medication; passivity and disempowerment; pessimism and low expectation; and a stifling degree of risk aversion. Despite these recognised deficiencies, core service provision for distressed voice hearers and those with unusual beliefs continues to be characterised by a medicate-and-monitor protocol. The slow pace of change towards more humane, person-centred approaches to human suffering demands explanation.

In this symposium, five critical thinkers (all drawn from the ‘Drop the Disorder?’ Facebook group and collectively benefiting from a range of survivor and professional know-how) offer a personal perspective on what each believes to be the fundamental barrier impeding transition to a more normalising, psycho-social approach to psychosis. Specific obstacles highlighted will include:
a) the disregard of personal experience and overemphasis on ‘scientific’ approaches;
b) the fundamentally discriminatory nature of the Mental Health Act and its role as a central generator for much that is wrong with Western psychiatry;
c) coercive conformism: exploring the causation and resolution of health dissonance from the ‘expert’ perspective;
d) the misuse of power by the vested interests that continue to benefit from the status quo;
e) diagnosis and disorder, a narrative that works against truly trauma-informed practice.

Following the five pitches –each lasting 10 minutes – the remainder of the session will be opened up to the wider audience to debate both the importance of the identified obstacles and the means by which they might be overcome.