Abstract
The inclusion of mental health under the umbrella of the right to health has become more widely adopted in recent decades, expanding our understanding of health as an holistic condition that encompasses mental health and acknowledges its importance on both physical health and social wellbeing. However, even as human rights circles make this realization, a large gap caused by the biomedical model remains, and the slow adoption of human rights-based approaches (HRBA) in mental health spheres leaves behind millions suffering from otherwise curable and preventable disorders. HRBAs in mental health consider not only reducing human rights violations that lead to mental health issues but also the provision of human rights integrated-mental health care in a manner that aligns with the universal and inalienable model of international human rights. This means that HRBAs are usually more holistic, less focused on the medicalization of justified suffering, and able to navigate the complex web of barriers set by social stigma, high costs, and low access often found in parts of the world where mental health issues are most prevalent after the occurrence of human rights violations. The researchers argue that drama therapy, a creative art therapies approach that borrows from theater techniques to achieve psychological wellbeing, fits into the HRBAs models being advocated for. Its cultural malleability, community-based implementation, and non-clinical setting all play a role in its adherence to HRBAs. A case study of drama therapy programmes taking place in Lebanon with refugee women demonstrates the benefits of HRBA for vulnerable populations.
Presenters
Sara SakhiResearch consultant , Research , Intisar Foundation, United Kingdom Lina Kreidie
Academic Director of Gender Studies /Senior Research Consultant , Lebanese American University (LAU) and Intisar Foundation, Beirut, Lebanon
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—The World on the Move: Understanding Migration in a New Global Age
KEYWORDS
Human Rights-Based Approaches, Mental Health, Drama Therapy, Human Rights
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