Mental Health Social Work And The Bureau-Medicalisation Of Mental Health Care: Identity In A Changing World

摘要

Psychiatry in the UK is seemingly moving inexorably towards bureau-medicalisation, a potent combination of the medical model and organisational imperative. This paper looks at the causes of these developments and one consequent trajectory toward a generic mental health practitioner. This paper provides a rationale for mental health social work (MHSW), arguing against the temptation to modernise mental health care by seeing the demise of MHSW and creating a generic mental health practitioner. A case is made for the unique role of the mental health social worker, requiring a redefinition of MHSW. Because of the profound changes in the National Health Service, we propose that, far from moving to a world of the generic mental health practitioner, MHSW has a key role to play in providing a challenge to this monolithic structure, through having a double identification with both the institution it represents and representing the service users' relationship to that institution. No other professional body carries this unique role.View full textDownload full textKeywordsmental health social work, bureau-medicalisation, psychiatric hegemony, double identification, best interestsRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02650530903415672