The Mad Studies Hub is spearheaded by Professor and inaugural Director Marina Morrow to explore the intersections of oppression and mental health, promoting equity and impactful change through collaboration and community partnerships both locally and globally.
MSH grew out of a research cluster, Critical Perspectives on Mental Health and Mad Studies, established in 2019 by Morrow and Megan Davies, now emeritus professor and member of the MSH Executive team. Initially housed and supported by the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, the cluster connected over 100 faculty members and graduate students across 15 York departments, resulting in successful research collaborations and community-based publications.
Professor Marina Morrow & Professor Amiel Joseph from McMaster University at the launch event
"Mad Studies is first and foremost an activist movement that arose out of the experiences of people who have had contact with psychiatric systems and who take up the label of Mad' as a way to reclaim those experiences and identities that have often been degraded and used to oppress," says Morrow, who is also graduate program director in critical disability studies. "It's a global movement of activism and interdisciplinary scholarship that is both responding to the constraints of psychiatric dominance but also simultaneously working outside of biomedical mental health frameworks to honour different ways of being and knowing in order to redefine how we understand emotional distress."
The MSH will be temporarily housed in the Health, Nursing and Environmental Studies (HNES) building, with further details on its permanent location to be announced. It will also be a true interdisciplinary collaboration. "Although the Faculty of Health is the lead Faculty, we're very pleased to have representation from Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, the Faculty of Education, Osgoode Hall Law School, and the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design," says Monique Herbert, associate dean, Faculty Affairs & Inclusiveness, Faculty of Health. "We wish the Mad Studies Hub the greatest success in all of its endeavours."
The MSH has five core objectives: supporting excellence in social-justice informed programs of research, fostering the formation of high-performing multidisciplinary teams and community-based collaborations, influencing policy at multiple levels, impacting post-secondary pedagogy and professional practice, and mobilizing knowledge via a diverse array of strategies and venues.
A special event was held on Jan. 24 to celebrate the launch of MSH and its future. In addition to an opening address detailing the origins and vision of the ORU, a panel discussion was held featuring speakers from York and beyond who shared insights drawing on their expertise in social justice, particularly in relation to mental health, disability and marginalized communities.
The launch of the Mad Studies Hub represents a significant step forward in addressing the complex relationship between oppression and mental health. By promoting equity and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, the MSH aims to create meaningful change in both academic and community settings.
"York is excited to inaugurate the Mad Studies Hub at York University, an interdisciplinary research unit dedicated to advancing social justice through innovative research, policy and practice," says Amir Asif, vice-president, research and innovation at York. "By fostering collaboration and community partnerships, locally and globally, MSH explores the intersections of oppression and mental health, promoting equity and impactful change. As one of York's 32 Organized Research Units, MSH embodies the University's commitment to interdisciplinary excellence and knowledge mobilization."
This story was originally featured in YFile, York University's community newsletter.
