Humanising healthcare: What does psychiatry mean to a post-structural and posthuman world?

Medical student Mameh Bockarie reflects on the Humanising Healthcare theory workshop given by Dr Nikita Hayden at the National Student Psychiatry Conference, hosted at the University of Sheffield on Saturday 13th January 2024. 

I attended this workshop at the National Student Psychiatry Conference in Sheffield earlier this month and found it to be a great companion to the theme of the conference that held it: ‘Me, myself, and I’. In about an hour, we were introduced to many thought-provoking ideas surrounding what it means to be a human being, to what extent has it been constructed, and what are the limits of its definition in a time of great ecological and economic acceleration.

What I found to be particularly fascinating was the discussion around subjectivity and how it relates to poststructuralist thought. It resonated with me as it provoked ideas surrounding the enlightenment concepts of sanity and rationality, its role in the scientific and biomedical approach, and its historical ugliness in psychiatry; as seen with the concept of drapetomania (1). As someone who looks to pursue a career in the aforementioned field, I believe that these are core ideas that need to be acknowledged in order to ensure compassionate care. My interest with the workshop was further explored with the introduction to posthumanist philosophy. I was challenged with an idea that rejected the exceptionalism of humans within our ecosystem, an idea that challenged the objectivity of an insular and meticulously defined human being. This had enabled me to become more empathetic to different perspectives, and as it relates to psychiatric practice has encouraged me to think is a more biopsychosocial way.

Though, most importantly, this workshop has validated the importance of the arts and humanities within psychiatry, and medicine as a whole. With the general focus on the biomedical aspects of psychiatry in clinical practice, it can sometimes feel as if more conventionally objective practices are paramount to subjective ones. At times, it feels like my interest in the humanities is to be treated as a hobby, rather than something integrated into future clinical work. This workshop has proved the opposite to be true, as the ideas discussed here have much overlap with contemporary healthcare dilemmas around biohacking, 'mad' and disability pride, transgender healthcare, and many more.

(1) Drapetomania was a "mental illness" theorised by the American physician Samuel Cartwright in 1851, which was used to explain why American slaves would want to run away from their masters. This was based on the assumption that slaves were happy with their role and the conditions on the plantation, thus it being irrational for them to want to leave. 

Podcast Series ‘The Art of Medicine: Love of Humanity’ available here. In this podcast series we talk to activists and researchers with learning disabilities who tell us about the ways in which they have tried to push for humanising healthcare

Why we need humanising healthcare

**Trigger Warning ** Some people may find the topics upsetting. This powerful video that was made by members of the Stop People Dying Too Young team of which SPF are part of: “We are all equal. We are all unique. We are not a diagnosis or a label.” Some thoughts from our Stop People Dying Too Young Group on the Leder Annual Report. Watch their video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJaoDEmOsXg

Phil’s story about his amazing campaigning work opening a new Changing Place facility at our local hospital in our last Newsletter (attached). Here is a link to Phil’s opening speech.

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