Talk:GRSJ224/Medicalization of Mental Health

Hi there! This is a really cool topic, and it's definitely a new direction to take the conversation around mental health. I think you started off very strong in your Summary section with giving context as to what medicalization is, especially with the inclusion of the examples. However, the Summary seemed to kind of abruptly end for me. You provide lots of examples to situate your argument, but it becomes somewhat lost afterwards. From what I see, this line: The social construction of what constitutes ‘normal’ behaviour and what must be treated is problematic at best., seems to be your main focus. Perhaps switch up the sentences so that you end off the section with an impactful statement rather than an example, or continue the section so that an argument is firmly communicated to your reader.

I liked the ways you delved into the topic in the rest of the wiki, especially in the last section where you speak about the intersectional part regarding medicalization, and how different racialized, classed, or seuxalized bodies experience the phenomenon differently. Again, I really like the examples you use to give a concrete picture for the reader, but it does lead me astray after a bit. It might just be the big body of text that might be making the wiki a bit hard to follow at its current form.

Be sure to add references to give context and backing to your arguments and facts! I know your in the process of formatting, so here are some links to help you out. If you click the "Help" link at the top of the edit box (next to Special Characters), you can also see a quick guide on how to format in the wiki!

• References
• Formatting

Great start and can't wait to see the final product! Keep up the good work!

Hi there!

I absolutely love the topic that you chose for this Wiki as it is such a relevant and prevalent issue! I would definitely recommend utilizing headings to organize your material as it is a little difficult to follow at the minute, though I assume you are likely still in the process of formatting your page. Similarly, it would be very beneficial to have your references cited at the end of each applicable sentence, in order to discern where the information is coming from. In regards to the content, I would suggest including a section on how gender plays a role in the medicalization of mental illness in order to provide a comprehensive and intersectional analysis. For example, there is a wealth of literature about hysteria, an unfounded psychological disorder, and the incredibly discriminatory medicalization of the illness that lead to the false treatment, detainment, and subsequent marginalization of countless women that you may wish to discuss!

Overall, I think you have established a really wonderful foundation and I am excited to see your final piece!

Hello,

I think you have a great start to your Wiki page. You gave a clear definition of the main terms, which helps the readers understand your research. I also like how you incorporated issues of race and gender in your research as it demonstrates the intersectionality portion of the course. Overall, you seem to be on the right track with your Wiki page! Some suggestions that I have for you is to section out your page prior to doing the research and prior to writing your draft since it may be easier to help organize your thoughts. Also, it may be helpful to look into treatments that aren’t medicalized and how certain mental illnesses can be treated without the help from medicine or doctors. This research will help support why the process of medicalization is not necessary in all cases of mental illnesses. Other things you can look into include the process that mental illness was medicalized and how it has evolved since then. Good luck!