Embodiment & Experience: An Inter-generational Dialogue on Experience, Values, and Disruption in Mental Health Workshop
By: Eve Lownds
The Embodiment and Experience workshop was an excellent opportunity for inter-generational discussion on important topics in youth mental health. The event was held on August 15th in the beautiful St Luke’s Chapel in Oxford, creating a rich atmosphere for debate and connection. The workshop combined mental health professionals from many leading universities with young people from the NeurOx Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG), what initially could have been intimidating blossomed into complex and interesting dialogue.
The event hosted talks by Prof. Havi Carel, Prof. Jonathan Green, Prof. Argyris Stringaris, Dr Lucy Osler, Prof. Michael Larkin, and Prof. Matthew Broome. These intriguing presentations covered topics ranging from AI to doubting your own body’s capability. After each presentation each inter-generational table was prompted to discuss the content and any disagreements. One notable discussion we had was what makes someone an ‘expert’. This conversation was complex, balancing individuals experience and not undermining professional training and knowledge. The topic of accountability arose, which both professionals and young people agreed was absent from many online sources. This conversation stemmed from a presentation about working with young people, an invaluable insight sometimes missing from youth mental health research. The YPAG got involved, offering their personal points of view and learnt more about how professional opinions may be more similar than we initially thought.
The centrepiece of the day was the NeurOx YPAG Workshop on Radical Value Disagreements in Youth Mental Health. This involved an open dialogue on controversial topics within youth mental health research. These topics were selected by the NeurOx YPAG: Self-diagnosis in youth mental health, AI in diagnosis and therapy in mental health and medicating young people. We had a discussion before the workshop to examine the views of the NeurOx YPAG, and they were surprisingly polarised. This showed us how experience can be critical to forming opinions on these poignant issues in youth mental health. Both professionals and young people benefited from critical analysis of their views, introducing alternative perspectives, and encouraging empathy with the other. AI was a particularly interesting topic, due to an update in the industry shortly before the workshop. Both young people and professionals were worried about the implications of integrating AI into healthcare and everyday life. The previous talk on AI prompted a discussion about whether humans could form a relationship with AI, for example, a therapeutic relationship. This complex topic fascinated us, as AI has the potential to transform mental healthcare and reduce NHS waiting times, but at what cost?
In summary, the workshop hosted both professional and young people’s perspectives on pertinent issues in youth mental health, and both groups gained amazing insights. The day was expertly organised by Dr Lucienne Spencer and Ms. Zeba Kokan, elevating the voices of young people to speak about topics relevant to their current and future selves. The discussion encouraged exploring personal opinions and experiences alongside professional research which led to brilliant ideas. In all, it was an enjoyable and informative event to attend, and the joining of people through different ages and experiences was a huge privilege to be a part of.
