Feminist Action Research in Mental Health

This book explores the development of a feminist-informed mental health peer support website co-designed with and for young women, filling a critical gap in theoretical and practical knowledge. Gendered violence and other forms of gender inequality play a significant role in the unequal burden of mental health problems faced by women. Whilst new and emerging online mental health resources hold promise as an adjunct to traditional face-to-face mental health support, they are predominantly designed for mixed gender audiences and do not connect specifically with diverse young women s mental health with their gendered lived experiences. This work seeks to address this.

Specifically tailored to social workers and other allied health professionals in practice, academics, and higher degree research students, this book offers an example of integrated research and practice methods using design thinking and co-design methodologies framed within a feminist understanding of gendered experiences of mental health and wellbeing. Written with early career researchers in mind, the book provides a practical guide to undertaking interdisciplinary learning and action research projects.

Autorentext

Michele Jarldorn is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University of South Australia. Her research deploys participatory, arts-based and co-design methods and has a social justice focus. Recently, her work has centred on the social implications of Artificial Intelligence and co-designing tech for social good.

Nicole Moulding is a Professor of Social Work at the University of South Australia and Director of the Social Relationships and Communities Research Group. A researcher and educator with interests in gendered violence, mental health and social work, she has published three books and over 50 journal articles and book chapters across these fields.

Kate Deuter is a Research Associate at the University of South Australia. Her research is underpinned by co-design principles and aims to collaboratively develop solutions to social issues, including the impact of gendered violence, post-parental care planning needs of adults with intellectual disabilities in rural areas, and mental health help-seeking of people from farming communities.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: What is co-design and why use it for mental health research?.- Chapter 2: Placing young women s mental health in context.- Chapter 3: Peer Support in Mental Health.- Chapter 4: A feminist approach to participatory co-design.- Chapter 5: Creating safe spaces to explore young women s experiences of mental health and help-seeking.- Chapter 6: Using design thinking and bringing ideas to life.- Chapter 7: Embedding collaborators voices into co-design: Reflecting on the project.