7 Contemporary Women in Mental Health
Happy International Women’s Day!
For this IWD, we at CCIPH thought we would share a few amazing women influencing the field of psychology and mental health today. We hope after reading this you are inspired to take a deeper look at one (or all) of these women’s brilliant work! Here are 7 examples of influential women in the field today:
Brené Brown
Few people would not know who Brené Brown is today. Brown has a PhD of social work and has been researching aspects of the human experience, such as shame, vulnerability, and empathy, for many years. Her work is incorporated into the practice of many helping professions, and she also shares it more widely through her public speaking, books, and podcasts. Her 2010 TED Talk, " The power of vulnerability ," is one of the most viewed talks in the world. Many young social workers are inspired by her (I can attest), and many others are touched by her words. Brown’s work is widespread and only continues to gain momentum.
Caroline Kuo
Kuo is currently a researcher and professor at Brown University. She has a PhD in Social Policy and is dedicated to creating contextually and culturally competent public health programs for marginalized and low-income communities. Kuo works to find ways to build resilience in vulnerable populations that is sustainable and can be implemented on a large-scale to serve their priorities and needs.
Daisy Fancourt
Fancourt holds a PhD in psychoneuroimmunology (say that 10 times fast) and is the Director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre on Arts and Health. Her research focuses on the social determinants of health, including social deficits (e.g. loneliness and social isolation) and social assets (e.g. community engagement, arts & cultural activities, and social prescribing) and their affects on health outcomes. Fancourt is leading the UK’s largest study into the psychological and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is also directing an international network of studies to find its’ impact on mental health across the globe.
Dawnette Edge
Edge is a Professor of Mental Health and Inclusivity at the University of Manchester and holds a PhD in Medical Sociology. Her research investigates the racial inequalities in access, care, and outcomes in mental health treatment and programing. She is interested in further studying the factors that influence individuals’ abilities to access appropriate support for mental health problems, and believes that theory development in this area is key to addressing the needs of all members of the population.
Jennifer Eberhardt
Eberhardt is a social psychologist and Professor for the Department of Psychology in Stanford University. Her research shows the extent to which racial imagery and judgments affect our culture and society. She particularly focuses on the consequences of the psychological association between race and crime, and the outcomes within the criminal justice system. Eberhardt is actively working with law enforcement agencies to reduce and eliminant these effects in policing, and to teach them to build and maintain trust with the communities they serve.
Marsha Linehan
Linehan is the creator of the ground-breaking dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT). Originally designed for patients with Borderline Personality Disorder, this life-changing therapy is now shown to effectively treat other personality and mood disorders as well. DBT is becoming more accessible and available, and has been modified to be able to help a wide range of populations. Linehan’s work has already had a huge impact on the mental health field, and I personally am excited to see how the use of DBT continues to evolve.
Nel Wieman
Canada’s own Nel Wieman is the Acting Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the First Nations Health Authority. She is the country’s first female Indigenous psychiatrist and has over 20 years working to serve the Indigenous community. She works to address and improve the mental health and wellness outcomes of Indigenous peoples. She is also a huge representative and advocate serving as the President of the Indigenous Physicians Association in Canada.
References:
https://vivo.brown.edu/display/ck39#
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/epidemiology-health-care/people/fancourt
https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/dawn.edge.html
https://web.stanford.edu/~eberhard/about-jennifer-eberhardt.html
