Relationships and a relational understanding in mental health research

Abstract

In engaging in this article with the far-reaching scholarly work of Peter Huxley, I focus on the foundations he has laid in developing a stronger social basis to understanding mental health and the forms of support that those experiencing mental health problems want and need. I will argue that mental health research and policy have barely embraced nor developed this foundation, let alone taken it to the core of knowledge in the way needed. To do this we need to follow the relational turn in scholarly work, a theoretical perspective I expand on in the article. Through these discussions I seek to lay directions for the development of mental health knowledge and policy to better understand the full social context of people’s experiences and of practice to support them.