News

5th September 2019

Asylum out and about – summer 2019

Asylum has been out and about over the summer. Read about our activities HERE.

12th August 2019

We’ve been too patient: voices from radical mental health – new book.

Overly medicating minors, police brutality, electro-convulsive therapy, involuntary hospitalization--not to mention the traumas that lead to intense altered states and...

12th August 2019

Video from CritSui3 Conference

Video presentations from the Critical Suicicology Conference in Perth in December 2018. VIEW here.

19th July 2019

In Conversation with Dolly Sen

In this episode of the One Small Thing podcast Edwina Grosvener talks to artist, mental health activist and all round...

19th July 2019

Storytelling beyond the psychiatric gaze

Inviting people with lived experience to share their stories is now common practice in education, mental health, and broader community...

19th July 2019

Disordering Social Inclusion

What new ethical quandaries are produced through the normalization of mental health service user inclusion as a best practice? (more…)

19th July 2019

Social Workers and a New Mental Health Act

Parliamentarians and social workers are jointly calling on the Government and NHS Trusts to recognise the social factors of mental...

19th July 2019

Trench Warfare in Mental Health

The battle between biomedical vs psychological understandings of mental health has continued for over a century. But, asks Tony Roberts,...

19th May 2019

Anxiety and Me

Since Nadiya Hussain won Bake Off in 2015 she’s rarely been off our screens. But behind the scenes Nadiya suffers...

19th May 2019

Psychosis and Me

David Harewood had a psychotic breakdown and was sectioned in his 20s. David traces his steps, meeting young people living...

19th May 2019

A place of safety? Podcast

Many voices are not heard in British mental health care (and beyond), significant flaws are overlooked. If you are not satisfied...

19th April 2019

Asylum Volume 17 (2010) now available for free download

We are gradually uploading older issues of Asylum, which will be available as free downloads. Volume 17 is now online....

18th April 2019

Mad Studies Group – Birmingham

Are you a Lived Experience Practitioner (LXP)? (Mad) Academic? Student? Clinician? Service User? Carer? (more…)

12th April 2019

‘Engaging with voices’ videos

These 15 videos were created by Elisabeth Svanholmer, Charlie Heriot-Maitland and Rufus May. Filming and editing by John Richardson and his...

11th April 2019

RE:CREATE psychiatry

The UK mental healthcare system is deemed by many to be failing its users, and lauded by many more as...

8th April 2019

My name is Rachel: radio programme

Rachel Waddingham hears voices. The first time she heard them she was lying in a bed. “You’re so stupid”, “they...

6th March 2019

Hidden gems from Asylum’s back-catalogue

Helen Spandler recently had the welcome task of reading through every single back issue of Asylum. Here she writes about...

25th February 2019

Finding Away – a new production

Written by Laura Lindow in collaboration with Chilli Studios, a Mental Health charity based in Byker. (more…)

25th February 2019

Asylum as a resource for learning

The editorial group at Asylum are keen to find out how the magazine is being used in teaching. (more…)

14th February 2019

Madness, Violence and Power: a critical collection

Available for pre-order, this book will be out in May. (more…)

30th January 2019

Friends make the best medicine

We need to start talking and networking – finding common ground and common language with the other people around us. We...

30th January 2019

The History of the Mad Movement & Alternatives to Biomedical Approaches: online course

An introductory course for mental heatlh practitioners and advocates who want to gain knowledge about alternative practices and become change-makers...

26th January 2019

A disorder for everyone – forthcoming events

Forthcoming workshops are to be held in Cardiff, York, Wolverhampton and Penrith. (more…)

15th December 2018

Summit on Global Mental Health – critical response

Summit on Global Mental Health Sparks Critical Response from Service-Users and Rights-Groups Mental health service-users, rights-groups and professionals advise caution...

23rd November 2018

Autonomous management of medication in mental health

The goal of Autonomous Management of Mental Health Medication is to allow the person who is taking medication to get...

23rd November 2018

I’m here too: reflections on clinical psychology training

A reflection on the writer's recent experiences of starting a DClinPsy course as someone who has struggled with their mental...

23rd November 2018

SRN seeks new working group members

Following the launch of the Survivor Research Network Manifesto and review of the future of SRN with NSUN, we are...

18th November 2018

MHRN press release

PRESS RELEASE – MENTAL HEALTH PROTEST On 20th November 2018, Mental Health Resistance Network (MHRN) will be protesting against mental...

3rd November 2018

Alternatives to Coercion in mental health settings – new report

A Melbourne Social Equity Institute research team has undertaken a systematic review of global practices that aim to reduce, prevent...

12th October 2018

Keeping Control – Animation

This animation was commissioned to disseminate the findings from a research project carried out at Middlesex University. (more…)

11th September 2018

Mad in the UK launches

MITUK’s mission is to serve as a catalyst for fundamentally re-thinking theory and practice in the field of mental health...

9th September 2018

More than 200 suicides recorded at mental health units over seven years

More than 200 patients killed themselves in mental health units over seven years, new figures have revealed, prompting concern about...

9th September 2018

Challenging narratives: What is The Power Threat Meaning Framework?

How should we understand our mental health needs? A new approach has been unveiled this year: the Power, Threat, Meaning...

9th September 2018

Call for submissions – poverty evidence.

Between 6 and 18 November, Professor Philip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for extreme poverty and human rights, will...

14th August 2018

Women in Crisis: how women and girls are being failed by the Mental Health Act

Women and girls detained under the Mental Health Act are taking their lives at “appalling” rates, according to a report from Agenda,...

14th August 2018

Intentional Peer Support – 5 day training, Manchester

Intentional Peer Support is a way of thinking about and inviting transformative relationships. (more…)

14th August 2018

Art and Liberation – exhibition

More than 100 artists raise mental health awareness through art & activism. (more…)

14th August 2018

Turn up the Volume – WMHN campaign

Women’s experiences have to be understood in the context of a social world where we are still far from achieving...

14th August 2018

Women’s Mental Health Network

The Women’s Mental Health Network (WMHN) is the latest project from Wish, a women’s mental health charity. (more…)

6th August 2018

This is Mad Culture – blog posting

New blog posting by Emily Cutler on the Radical abolitionist web site. (more…)

25th July 2018

Mad in America post: Embracing difficult conversations

This Mad in America blog by Nev Jones and Emily Cutler makes two points. First, it suggests that judgements of...

24th July 2018

Through the eyes of the observed: re-directing research on psychiatric drugs – by Jasna Russo

Dilemmas and decisions about medication are central to the lives of people with experience of mental health issues. (more…)

19th July 2018

Critical Perspectives On and Beyond ‘Recovery’ – Ten Years on: Call for abstracts

At the first critical perspectives conference, in 2009, recovery principles and practices were debated and discussed with a considerable optimism...

17th July 2018

Mad in Asia – launch

Mad in Asia is an online platform whose primary mission is to contribute to changing the narrative about madness and...

17th July 2018

Community Open Online Courses (COOCs)

Community Open Online Courses (COOCs) are an opportunity for people to share their passions, ideas and knowledge with each other....

15th July 2018

Critical Social Policy Solidarity Fund

The Critical Social Policy Solidarity Fund seeks to support activist projects that align with the aims and mission of Critical Social...

13th July 2018

Tactile Minds – ceramics exhibition.

22 ceramic artists and makers have made pieces in response to their individual mental health journeys, emulating the full and...

13th July 2018

Through the eyes of the observed: re-directing research on psychiatric drugs

10th July 2018

Scholarships for the MSc Mental Health Recovery and Inclusion

Mental health challenges can interrupt the progress of education and employment. (more…)

7th July 2018 / Campaign

Stop the Implementation of CTOs in Greece

A meeting was held in Trieste on 21-23 June 2018: DEMOCRACY AND COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTHCARE - Participation, citizenship and reform processes...

2nd July 2018

Campaigning to End Physical Restraint in Spain

#0Contenciones (zero restraints) is a campaign to end the practice of physical restraint in Spanish psychiatric facilities. (more…)

1st July 2018

SRN Manifesto

The SRN Manifesto has been written by the volunteer members of the Survivor Researcher Network working group who come from...

1st July 2018

Survivor Researcher Network

The Survivor Researcher Network (SRN) is a usercontrolled independent network for all mental health service users and survivors with an interest in...

30th June 2018

Trauma and Madness in Mental Health Services

This new book, by Noël Hunter, represents a critical exploration of the mental health system as it pertains to individuals...

27th June 2018

Mad studies: webinar series

This series of eight online webinars will introduce participants to mad studies, an emerging, interdisciplinary field encompassing a variety of...

25th June 2018

Maastricht World Survey On Antipsychotic Medication Withdrawal

This survey aims to improve mental health services by improving understanding medication withdrawal. Lead researcher is Will Hall, a therapist,...

20th June 2018 / Asylum stockist

Five Leaves bookshop in Nottingham now stocks Asylum magazine

Five Leaves Publications was set up in 1996 and has published around 200 literary, political, social history and other titles,...

20th June 2018

Poverty, Pathology and Pills conference – call for papers

Poverty and deprivation create mental distress and make it worse. Although recent years have seen governments committing to expand mental health...

20th June 2018

The contribution of the voluntary sector to mental health crisis care in England

This research has been funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to investigate the role of the voluntary...

11th June 2018

The Colour of Madness

The Colour Of Madness is an anthology led and curated by BAME people which is made up of fiction, poetry,...

8th June 2018

James’ Place

James' Place is about to open in Liverpool. In the heart of the Georgian quarter, it is a non clinical...

7th June 2018

Voicing Suicide – a poetry anthology

Suicide is difficult and complex. It can entangle us in unending loss, grief and sometimes guilt and anger. Suicide casts...

4th June 2018

Medicating Me: personal impressions of psychiatric medication

A mental health documentary exploring people's encounters with psychiatric medication. It is not giving advice. It is giving a voice....

28th May 2018

Building Critical Bridges – Call for Papers

The 3rd Conference of the Critical Suicide Studies Network (a.k.a. CritSui3), will be held in Perth WA at the University...

19th May 2018

Ship of Fools

SHIP OF FOOLS, a mental health writers' collective, was set up in May 2018 by Mary Anne Hill, who is...

9th May 2018

ISPS trustees sought

ISPS UK promotes psychological and social approaches to psychosis. They run national and regional conferences and workshops on key issues,...

4th May 2018

Welfare Imaginaries

At this juncture of intense welfare reform and contracting public provision, the question of how we imagine the welfare state,...

3rd May 2018

Review of the Mental Health Act – Interim report

The independent review of the Mental Health Act was set up to look at how the legislation in the Mental...

11th April 2018

Survivor Researcher Network launch manifesto

The Survivor Researcher Network (SRN) is an independent, user-controlled and diverse network for all mental health service users and survivors...

25th March 2018

Emotional CPR

Emotional CPR (eCPR) is an educational program designed to enable people to help others through an emotional crisis through: C =...

25th March 2018

Asylum Calendar

We have added a Calendar to the Asylum website. Please contact us with events to add.

24th March 2018

Integrating mental health and social care: does it work in practice?

In the second of the Centre for Mental Health's series We need to talk about social care, Kim Woodbridge-Dodd looks at...

24th March 2018

#socialcarefuture

#socialcarefuture is an initiative - voluntarily organised - which aims to bring about major positive change in what is currently called...

22nd March 2018

New section: Asylum readers’ blogs

We are setting up a page on the website with links to Asylum readers' blogs. Please contact us to add...

21st March 2018

Maintaining Momentum

'Maintaining momentum' highlights failings in specialist mental health services in England, and the devastating toll this takes on patients and their...

21st March 2018

A new vision for mental health

'Have you ever wondered what mental healthcare would look like if, knowing what we know today, it could be redesigned...

12th March 2018

Demonstration and lobby at the New Savoy Conference

The Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies programme is 'failing the mental health needs of communities all over England', while working...

2nd March 2018

Reviewers wanted!

Book Reviews Is there a mental health related book you’d like to review? If so, we might be able to...

19th February 2018

New Asylum flyer – help us publicise Asylum!

We have a new Asylum flyer. Download it here. Nail it to a noticeboard, wedge it in a window, tape...

18th February 2018

Lived experience employment survey

The LEP research team invite you to take part in a short survey gathering information on lived experience employment. Their...

Participatory Autism Research Collective

12th February 2018

Critical Dialogues on Neurodiversity – call for papers

This stream of the Lancaster Disability Studies Conference - led by the Participatory Autism Research Collective (PARC) - aims to...

12th February 2018

Lancaster Disability Studies Conference – Call for Papers

Researchers, policy makers, practitioners and activists from all over the world come together at the Lancaster Disability Studies conference. The...

10th February 2018

Mental health and neoliberalism: video of NSE event

Can today's crisis in mental health be seen as the result of neoliberalism? We asked the panelists to reflect on...

7th February 2018

The Effect – radio play

"I can tell the difference between who I am and a side effect." Award-winning chemical romance. Connie (Jessie Buckley -...

2nd February 2018

While your back was turned: the mental health of young women and girls

The mental health of young women and girls is deteriorating, and the gap between men and women has widened over...

24th January 2018

Social Policy First Hand – an introduction to participatory social welfare

Written by Sarah Carr and Peter Beresford, Social Policy First Hand is the first comprehensive international social policy text from...

19th January 2018

Solidaritea at the Field

The Mental Health Resistance Network presents SolidariTEA at the Field in Pckham, on1st Feb 2018. It's a spoken word event...

15th January 2018

Power Threat Meaning framework: new publication

The framework described here, the Power Threat Meaning Framework, is an over-arching structure for identifying patterns in emotional distress, unusual...

8th January 2018

Mental Health Discussion and Campaigning Groups – UK based

This list was compiled following the Asylum Action & Reaction conference and will shortly be integrated in to the links...

8th January 2018 / blog

The Memoirs of a Crazy Happy Lady Blog

Late 20 something year old, trying to work out what the F is going on in life whilst being saddled...

View archived news items here.