Feminist Mental Health Activism in England, c. 1968-95

This book provides the first in-depth examination of feminist mental health activism in England from c.1968-1995. It explores how feminist activists initially rejected Freud before using psychoanalysis to enhance their politics; examines the development of feminist therapy; and charts the influence of feminism on national mental health charities. -- .

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Feminist mental health activism in England, c.1968-1995 provides the first in-depth examination of feminist mental health activism in England, employing original oral history interviews alongside detailed case studies of unexplored feminist initiatives. It charts how feminist activists in the late 1960s initially rejected psychological approaches, before employing a range of therapies to understand themselves and support one another. This book charts the emergence of feminist mental health groups in the early 1970s, the development of feminist therapy across the 1980s, and the influence of feminist politics on national charity Mind in the 1990s. It examines what participation in feminist activism felt like; demonstrating how these emotions have influenced the construction of its history. The book simultaneously forges a new direction in the history of mental healthcare in postwar England, establishing how feminists’ grassroots support for women redefined 'community care'. -- .