LE3 .A278 2020

2020

Rudrum, Sarah

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

Sociology

Sociology

This study seeks to answer two questions: how do Nova Scotia policy makers define severe mental illness? How do definitions of severe mental illness influence the creation and implementation of mental health policies? Theoretical frameworks and concepts such as social constructionism, medicalization, stigma, and intersectionality were used to unpack the characteristics that are essential to defining severe mental illness. Literature on North American mental health policies were examined to provide context. The methods used were a Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis (IBPA) (guided by a critical discourse analysis) of Nova Scotia’s most current mental health strategies and legislation, as well as conducting semi-structured interviews with ten individuals that embody the roles of policy makers, mental health professionals, and members of mental health Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO). The findings were broken down into five themes. (1) The process of defining severe mental illness is framed through the process of medicalization and the mental health continuum; (2) the social determinants of health framework is used to frame diversity in mental health policy; (3) medical professionals have more power in contributing to mental health policies than persons with lived experience; (4) the mental health system is disconnected, which creates discontinuous mental health treatment; (5) stigma impacts severely mentally ill marginalized persons more so than non-marginalized persons. Severe mental illness is defined through medicalized discourse, which ignores the social context of persons with severe mental illness. Thus, a new definition of severe mental illness must include of social analysis paired with medical discourse in understanding the distress of persons with severe mental illness. Severe mental illness and mental distress must be examined societal structures.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3480