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Cited by 102Mental Health and Patient InvolvementDisability Rights and RepresentationHealth, Medicine and Society

Towards a Social Justice Framework of Mental Health Recovery

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Morrow, Marina, Weisser, Julia·2012·Studies in Social Justice
DOI 10.26522/ssj.v6i1.1067
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Abstract

In this paper we set out the context in which experiences of mental distress occur with an emphasis on the contributions of social and structural factors and then make a case for the use of intersectionality as an analytic and methodological framework for understanding these factors. We then turn to the political urgency for taking up the concept of recovery and argue for the importance of research and practice that addresses professional domination of the field, and that promotes ongoing engagement and dialogue about recovery as both a personal and social experience. To this end, we describe a unique project that sought to deepen our understanding of how recovery is being thought about and applied in the current context of mental health care in Vancouver, BC, with a specific focus on how, and whether, people are taking up and addressing dimensions of power that we see as critical to the operationalization of recovery within a social justice framework. Emerging from our research and discussion is a set of critical questions about whether or not the political moment in Canada with respect to re-invigorating recovery should be embraced, versus a rejection of the concept of recovery as too limiting in its scope and too vulnerable to professional co-optation.

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  • Involuntary detention of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous children and youth under the MH Act can be seen and experienced as another link in a long chain of oppression imposed by the state on Indigenous peoples.

    “As highlighted by Morrow and Weisser (2012) [57] “although involuntary detention of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous children and youth under the MH Act may be intended for their safety and protection, it can be seen and experienced as another link in a long chain of oppression imposed by the state on Indigenous peoples” (p. 4).”

    From “Backed into a Corner”: Lived experiences of receiving and providing involuntary psychiatric treatment under British Columbia’s Mental Health Act (2026) · cites this paper as [57]

    The section “Mental Health and Social and Structural Inequities” discusses colonialism’s effects on mental health and discrimination through legal and medical practices, but does not address involuntary detention of Indigenous children or youth under the MH Act. Searches for the quoted detention language and for Indigenous youth, the Act, and state oppression found no passage making that specific point. Our copy provides no page number for the quoted text. (LLM, conf=0.72)

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  • The importance of factors related to social justice which fall under the theme "Prosperity" is widely supported by research on social determinants of health.

    “The importance of factors related to social justice which fall under the theme “Prosperity” is widely supported by research on social determinants of health (93–95).”

    From Recovery from Severe Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review of Service User and Informal Caregiver Perspectives (2021) · cites this paper as [95]

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Cites

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2 of the 51 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 18

  1. Blackbridge, P. (1997). Prozac highway. Vancouver: Press Gang.
  2. Blackbridge, P., Gilhooly, S. (1985). Still sane. Vancouver: Press Gang.
  3. Capponi, P. (1997). Dispatches from the poverty line. Toronto: Penguin.
  4. Capponi, P. (2003). Beyond the crazy house: Changing the future of madness. Toronto: Penguin.
  5. Ingram, r. (2011). recovery from compulsory sanity. Presentation for Society for Disabilities Studies Conference, San Jose, California.
  6. Kirmayer L., Brass G.M., Tait C.L. (2001). The mental health of Aboriginal peoples: Transformations of identity and culture. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 45(7), 607-617.
  7. Knudsen, S. (2006). Intersectionality-A theoretical inspiration in the analysis of minority cultures and identities in textbooks. In E. Bruillard, B. Aamotsbakken, S. Knudsen, & M. Horsley (Eds.), Caught in the Web or Lost in the Textbook?Eight International Conference on Learning and Educational Media (pp. 61-76). The International Association for research on Textbooks and Educational Media. retrieved from http://www.iartem.no/documents/ caught_in_the_web.pdf
  8. Morrow, M., wasik, A., Cohen, M., & Perry, K. (2009). removing barriers to work: Building economic security for people with mental illness. Critical Social Policy, 29(4), 655-676.
  9. Morrow, M. (in press). recovery: Progressive paradigm or neoliberal smokescreen? r.
  10. Morrow, M., Jamer, B. & weisser, J. willow, b., & omura, C. (2011b) Creative Knowledge Exchange: A Critical Exploration of Social Inequities in Mental Health. Presented at Fifth JEMH Conference on Ethics in Mental Health, Ethical Challenges in Service Delivery and Design May 12-14, 2011 in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
  11. Myers, N. L. (2010). Culture of recovery? Schizophrenia, the United States' mental health system, and the American ethos of the self-made man. ProQuest Information & Learning. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 70(8).
  12. Peyser, H. (2001). Commentary: what is recovery? Psychiatric Services, 52(4), 486-487.
  13. Porter, r. (2002). Madness: A brief History oxford: oxford University Press.
  14. repper, J. (2011) A rights Based Approach to recovery and Social Inclusion. Presentation for INTAr Conference, Challenging Our Understanding of Psychosis and Exploring Alternatives for Recovery Toronto, Nov. 3-4 2011.
  15. Shimrat, I. (1997). Call me crazy: Stories from the mad movement. Vancouver: Press Gang.
  16. Ussher, J. (1991). Women's madness: Misogyny or mental illness? Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press.
  17. weber, L. (2006). reconstructing the landscape of health disparities research: Promoting dialogue and collaboration between feminist intersectional and biomedical paradigms. In A. J. Schultz, & L. Mullings (Eds.), Gender, race, class and health: Intersectional approaches (pp. 21-59). Indianapolis: wiley.
  18. weisser, J., Morrow, M., & Jamer, B. (2010). A critical exploration of social inequities in themental health literature. Vancouver: Centre for the Study of Gender Social Inequities http://www.socialinequities.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/recovery-Scoping- review.Final_.STYLE_.pdf

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Authors
Morrow, M., & Weisser, J.
Affiliations
Simon Fraser University (CA)
ORCID
Morrow, Marina
Venue
Studies in Social Justice
Publisher
Brock University Library
Published
2012-10-16
Volume
6
Issue
1
Pages
27-43
ISSN
1911-4788 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.26522/ssj.v6i1.1067
OpenAlex
W2099449021
Cited by
102
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 1
FWCI
8.52
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc-nd
Locations
  • Studies in Social Justice (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mental Health and Patient Involvement
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Rights and Representation
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health, Medicine and Society
Keywords
mental health recovery, social justice, intersectionality, psychological distress, co-optation, mental health policy, Vancouver

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