Reimagining mental health care through the lens of disability justice and social determinants
This article advocates for a shift in mental health care from a purely clinical or 'deficit' model to one rooted in disability justice and dignity. It highlights that current systems often fail to address the social, relational, and structural causes of distress, such as poverty, isolation, and discrimination. Citing NCRB data, it notes that a significant portion of suicides in India are linked to relational ruptures and emotional distress. The authors call for a 'real-world sensitive' approach that values lived experience and integrates care into the community rather than focusing solely on individual treatment or rigid definitions of normalcy.
Key Points
- Mental health care should be viewed as a pursuit of dignity and disability justice rather than just medical symptom management.
- Social determinants like housing precarity, economic instability, and social exclusion are major drivers of mental distress that clinical models often ignore.
- The 'deficit lens' in psychiatry often overlooks the complex narratives of individuals and their specific socio-economic contexts.
- There is a need to recognize and compensate 'non-specialists' with lived experience as valuable practitioners in the mental health system.
Exam Facts
- National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data indicates that one-third of suicides in India are due to family problems and relational ruptures.
- The gap in mental health care access continues to range from 70% to 90% globally.
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