PGR/ECR Workshop: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Mental Health

Increasing numbers of postgraduate students and early-career researchers from a wide range of disciplines are undertaking work on mental health that entails interdisciplinary approaches. Conducting research in this crucial area across disciplinary boundaries offers significant opportunities for innovative scholarship, but it can also present practical and intellectual challenges for those at the earlier stages of their academic careers.

This workshop, supported by the Emerging Minds Network, funded by UKRI, is particularly focused on bringing together postgraduate and early-career researchers across and beyond the arts, humanities, social sciences, with researchers from the health sciences. It will involve interactive sessions and open discussion on research approaches and collaborations which can help inspire future research into contemporary challenges in mental health. The incredible collections of the Mental Health Museum will be used to inspire conversations about how we can draw on historical material to address present-day challenges.

Attendees will benefit from subsequent support from Emerging Minds, which is running a dedicated programme of events and activities for early-career researchers, and the opportunity to become involved in funded projects. We will ask all participants to write a blog about their experience and how it will influence their research in the future.

Session topics will include:

·        An Introduction to the Emerging Minds Network: its goals and support for ECRs

·        ‘Lessons from the Past’ in health-related research

·        Where can the Arts and Humanities fit? Designing and Implementing a Resilience Framework

·        Working Across Boundaries: Generating Interdisciplinary Methods in Mental Health Research

Session leaders include:

·        Professor Cathy Creswell (Developmental Clinical Psychology, University of Oxford)

·        Dr James Stark (Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, University of Leeds)

·        Denise Wheatman (Health Improvement Specialist, Wakefield Council)

·        Mary Robson (Creative Facilitator, University of Durham)

The workshop is open to postgraduate and early-career researchers from any discipline, and whose research is connected to mental health in children and young people. There is no charge for attendance. Applicants can also apply for a travel, accommodation and/or subsistence bursary if they are unable to cover the costs personally or claim them back from their institution. Numbers are strictly limited.

To apply, please send a one-page CV and a 250-word supporting statement outlining your research and explaining your interest in attending, to Susannah Perkins  by Thursday 14 November 2019.