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Epistemic struggles: The role of advocacy in promoting epistemic justice and rights in mental health

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  • Newbigging, Karen
  • Ridley, Julie

Abstract

Advocacy for people using health and social care services is widely promoted but its theoretical foundation is under-developed and its impact poorly conceptualised. This paper explores the liberatory potential of independent advocacy, using Fricker's concept of ‘epistemic injustice’ as a framework. People experiencing mental distress are particularly vulnerable to epistemic injustices as a consequence of deeply embedded social stigma resulting in a priori assumptions of irrationality and unreliability such that their knowledge is often discounted or downgraded. The mental health service user/survivor movement is at the forefront of validating personal experience and narrative to secure a different ontological and epistemological basis for mental distress. A foundational strand of this is advocacy to enable people to give voice to their experience.

Suggested Citation

  • Newbigging, Karen & Ridley, Julie, 2018. "Epistemic struggles: The role of advocacy in promoting epistemic justice and rights in mental health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 219(C), pages 36-44.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:219:y:2018:i:c:p:36-44
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.10.003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Norvoll, Reidun & Pedersen, Reidar, 2016. "Exploring the views of people with mental health problems' on the concept of coercion: Towards a broader socio-ethical perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 204-211.
    2. Foley, Ronan & Platzer, Hazel, 2007. "Place and provision: Mapping mental health advocacy services in London," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 617-632, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bastidas-Bilbao, Hamer & Stergiopoulos, Vicky & van Kesteren, Mary Rose & Stewart, Donna Eileen & Cappe, Vivien & Gupta, Mona & Buchman, Daniel Z. & Simpson, Alexander I.F. & Castle, David & Campbell,, 2023. "Searching for relief from suffering: A patient-oriented qualitative study on medical assistance in dying for mental illness as the sole underlying medical condition," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).

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