A persistent social crisis which is not all in our heads

Alternatives to medical treatment for people with mental health issues need to get beyond the discussion phase towards policy and implementation, writes Jennifer Hough , who talks to practitioners about a national crisis

OME call themselves anti-psychiatry, some are part of the critical psychiatry movement, or promote the theory of “post psychiatry”. Others just know there has to be a better way.

Over the past 20 years, the voices of concerned mental health professionals, service users and academics have gained momentum in a bid to break down the medical model of psychiatry, and the damage they believe it is inflicting on people in distress.