EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCES OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE USERS ADVOCATING FOR CHANGES IN MENTAL HEALTHCARE AND POLICY IN ONTARIO

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the experiences of mental health service users who have engaged in advocacy work in Ontario to improve mental healthcare and policy. Mad Studies was used as a theoretical lens to center the experiences of mental health service users. Semi-structured interviews through Zoom were conducted with 20 mental health service users who engaged in advocacy work in Ontario to improve mental healthcare and policy to learn about their experiences. They also completed an online demographic survey through Qualtrics. The dissertation has been divided into seven chapters. The first chapter introduces the Mad Studies lens. The second chapter discusses biomedical dominance in mental healthcare and policy. The third chapter reviews mad resistance, initiatives, and organizing. The fourth chapter outlines the qualitative research design. The fifth chapter discusses the findings from demographic surveys and interviews. The sixth chapter is a discussion of the major themes from the findings, implications for practice and policy, and future directions. The seventh chapter is the conclusion. Findings reveal that participants were motivated to do advocacy work because of their own lived experience and desire to help others. Their advocacy work focused on education, peer support, increasing collaboration across sectors, and policies. Participants’ advocacy work has made impacts through policy change, service creation, organizational change, awareness raising, and helping others. Participants said that promising approaches for improving mental healthcare and policy are increasing funding, increasing supports, greater collaboration in the sector, and including people with lived experience in decision-making. Participants encourage people who want to do advocacy work to practice self-care, have their voice heard, and build relationships. This dissertation contributes to Mad Studies scholarship by creating knowledge that privileges the experiences and wisdom of people who have used mental health services. It also challenges biomedical narratives and outlines promising approaches for improving mental healthcare and policy in Ontario.