Mental Health and Social Change

The Mental Health and Social Change Group is a diverse team dedicated to psychological research and practice that is done with people and communities and not to them. Our core focus is on social justice.

We work closely with individuals who have personal experience with mental distress, as well as with activists, practitioners, and service providers. This collaborative approach allows us to produce impactful research that stays true to our social justice mission.

Our work is driven by two key principles:

1. A Psychosocial Approach to Mental Health

Our group has a long history of research that supports a psychosocial understanding of mental distress. We believe that distress is a meaningful psychological response to adverse life events such as poverty, violence, trauma, loss, loneliness, and racism. Our research has been crucial in advocating for a paradigm shift away from narrow medical models of mental health.

2. Theoretical innovation in psychology

We also have a strong tradition of using social theory to explore psychological research questions. We draw on a range of theories, including those of affect, narrative, and feminism, to inspire creative and experimental new research methods.

Changing Minds on Anti-Depressant Withdrawal

Although one in six UK adults was prescribed antidepressants in 2017, there is still very little known about the long-term effects of these drugs or the experience of stopping their use. Professor John Read's research and systematic reviews on antidepressant use have brought to light the significant challenges of long withdrawal periods and the many negative effects associated with sudden cessation.

The research has garnered extensive media coverage from outlets such as Sky News, BBC1, BBC Radio 4, and most national newspapers, creating pressure for changes to professional practices and guidelines. His research papers and recent systematic review have been submitted to inform the review of the NICE guidelines on withdrawal. Furthermore, he serves as the British Psychological Society's (BPS) representative on Public Health England's Expert Advisory Group, which is currently reviewing dependence on prescribed medicines.

Contributing to a Paradigm Shift in Mental Health Policy and Practice

The work of the Mental Health and Social Change Group has significantly influenced both mental health policy and public discourse by advocating for a psychosocial approach. This tradition has deep roots within the group, with past members producing seminal texts like Mary Boyle's Schizophrenia: A Scientific Delusion.

Today, group members continue to work across academia, clinical practice, and policy to shape understandings of mental distress. A key example of this impact is the Power Threat Meaning Framework, co-authored by Professor David Harper and Professor John Read and published by the British Psychological Society in 2018.

Drawing on their extensive work on trauma, paranoia, and mental health—and citing research by Professor Nimisha Patel—this framework has gained international recognition as a psychosocial alternative to medical and diagnostic models. This effort builds on Professor Harper's previous success with his award-winning textbook, The Psychology of Mental Health and Distress, which has been widely adopted by students.

Influencing Policies on Violence and Abuse

Dr Ava Kanyeredzi's research on Black women's experiences with abuse and violence identified a central theme: faith. All the women she interviewed mentioned being helped by or seeking help from churches, highlighting a crucial but often disconnected link between faith organisations and mental health services.

This finding was instrumental in the creation of the Black Church Domestic Abuse Forum, a collective of pastors, academics, and practitioners. The forum's mission is to empower Black majority churches to become change-makers in their responses to and prevention of domestic abuse. To support this, they are currently developing a toolkit to help churches effectively respond to reports of trauma and abuse.

Influencing Policy and Practice for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Professors Rachel Tribe and Nimisha Patel have a long history of leading work with refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of torture. Their extensive scholarly, clinical, and policy contributions have resulted in several professional practice guides for psychologists.

Professor Tribe's work was recognised with the 2019 BPS Division of Counselling Psychology Award for diversity and innovation in practice. A key part of her contribution was the development of the UEL Refugee Mental Health and Wellbeing Portal, which offered refugees, practitioners, and organisations easy access to a wide range of vital resources. Her efforts also included evaluations for organisations like the Transcultural Psychiatry Organisation and War Child in East Africa.

Professor Patel's work with survivors of torture inspired her to establish the NGO The International Centre for Health and Human Rights. This organisation works on an international level, included with the UN, to advocate for health and human rights.

Affect and Emotion

Several group members, including Dr Martin Willis, Professor Ian Tucker, Dr Rachel Liebert, and Dr Ali Lara, share a common interest in exploring theories of affect, feeling, and emotion.

Professor Tucker's work, in collaboration with Dr Darren Ellis, specifically examines the digital contexts of emotion, which has resulted in two co-authored books: Social Psychology of Emotion and Digital Contexts of Emotion. Meanwhile, Dr Lara's theoretical research focuses on the crucial role that objects play in mediating multiple layers of affective experience.

Material Contexts of Psychology

We're a group of researchers passionate about exploring the overlooked connection between our psychological experiences and the physical spaces we inhabit. Traditionally, psychology has focused on the mind and social interactions, but we believe that our material surroundings also play a crucial role.

Specifically, Professor Ian Tucker and Dr Ava Kanyeredzi have conducted extensive research on how physical spaces influence people's experiences with distress and recovery. Their work spans both psychiatric institutions and community settings. Additionally, Dr Lisa Fellin's research delves into the material contexts of childhood and emotion.

Migration and Refugees

Professors Nimisha Patel and Rachel Tribe are internationally recognised experts in refugee mental health. Their extensive work in this area includes numerous academic publications, clinical practice, policy work, and consultancy. They are known for bridging the gap between academic research, clinical application, and policy development.

Both professors served on the British Psychological Society (BPS) Presidential Task Force, which led to the creation of the 2018 BPS guidelines for psychologists working with refugees and asylum seekers.

In addition, Rachel has provided training for the Sri Lankan Office for National Unity and Reconciliation's psychosocial team and several Sri Lankan universities. She also helped establish a well-being centre for students and staff in Sri Lanka.

Trauma, Abuse and Violence

Many of our group members are interested in the role of trauma in mental distress.

Professor John Read is a globally recognised expert who advocates for trauma-informed mental health services. His research includes numerous papers on trauma's origins and how it's discussed in clinical settings.

Professor Nimisha Patel has worked extensively with torture survivors as a researcher, clinician, and in policy and consultancy roles.

Trauma is also a central theme in Professor Rachel Tribe's work with refugees and interpreters. Similarly, Dr Ava Kanyeredzi's research with Black female survivors of abuse and violence highlights the need for a nuanced understanding of trauma's complex and multifaceted impacts.

Unusual Beliefs, Surveillance and Paranoia

Professor David Harper's research proposes an alternative view of "paranoia." He argues that it shouldn't be seen as a pathological condition but rather as an understandable, though unconventional, belief system that develops in response to social and interpersonal circumstances.

In collaboration with Professor Ian Tucker, he has also explored the broader psychology of surveillance in our culture and society, examining how it impacts our everyday lives.

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Mental Health and Social Change

Mental Health and Social Change