UPDATE 12
1 December 2024
Dear Supporter,
Welcome to Save Mental Health’s Update 12. In this edition we will be reporting on:
The tragic costs of cancel culture
Lucy Beney's latest excellent article Anxiety - Be Careful What You Wish For
A US study showing the harms of EDI/DEI
An Open Therapy Institute workshop in which Carole Sherwood is taking part
We'll also be asking whether Non-Crime-Hate-Incidents and Microaggressions amount to the same thing. Finally, don’t forget to take a look at our recommended book for this edition. It's a cracker.
The Cruelty of Cancel Culture
Some of you may have already read the article Carole Sherwood wrote for the Daily Sceptic recently. In the article, she reflects on the tragic death of Oxford University student Alexander Rogers, who took his own life in January this year. At his inquest the coroner said that Alexander's decision to take his life had likely been influenced by the "isolation he felt" after being ostracised. He had been shunned by his friends after they learned of a sexual encounter that made a female student feel uncomfortable. The extent of cancel culture on campus was highlighted by two Oxbridge students, writing anonymously in The Times, who spoke about living in fear of being cancelled. Save Mental Health is currently working on a study with the Free Speech Union investigating the effects of cancellation on mental health. We believe this is an important area of research that is urgently needed.
"Anxiety - Be Careful What You Wish For" by Lucy Beney
In her latest article, Lucy reminds us that anxiety (or 'angst’) is part of the human condition. Without anxiety we would not survive as it alerts us to potential threats in our environment. However, Lucy's article focuses on questions of existential threat – questions of choice, freedom and rapid change – that can be hard for young people to manage. Lucy points out that there is a tendency now to 'diagnose' responses to uncertainty as 'mental disorders'. She identifies three aspects of the 'anxiety epidemic' that she believes need to be considered: 1. An understanding of normal emotional reactions; 2. Our response to childhood and adolescent anxiety; 3. A commitment to address factors contributing to the surge in anxiety. Lucy also considers the effects of identity politics on young people such as fear of holding the 'wrong' opinions or making the 'wrong' choices. Finally, Lucy identifies three vital elements that are necessary for children's healthy growth.
This is another thought-provoking and informative piece that sheds light on the difficulties children experience in society today. It also provides helpful guidance on how these difficulties can be overcome.
US study shows EDI/DEI causes harm
Evolutionary biologist Colin Wright has drawn attention to a groundbreaking new study conducted in the US. This research shows that rather than reduce bias, EDI/DEI encourages people to interpret others' behaviour as having hostile intent. In Wright's words: "Participants were more likely to see prejudice in neutral scenarios and to support punitive actions against imagined offenders. These effects were not marginal; hostility and punitive tendencies increased by double-digit percentages across multiple measures."
The findings of this study are troubling although not, perhaps, surprising to those who have been arguing for some time that EDI and 'anti-racist' training is harmful.
Wright points out that the study "revealed a chilling convergence with authoritarian attitudes, suggesting that such training is fostering not empathy, but coercion and control." As well as providing a helpful summary of the research, Wright also asks why the media seem to be suppressing its findings. Could it be that those findings don't fit the established narrative?
Do Non-Crime Hate Incidents and Microaggressions amount to the same thing?
There has been much discussion in the press and media recently about non-crime-hate-incidents (NCHIs). These discussions arose in response to journalist Allison Pearson's experience of being visited by two police officers on Remembrance Sunday about a social media post. Here at Save Mental Health, we couldn't help noticing the similarities between NCHIs and microaggressions.
Both refer to speech or actions that are perceived as 'offensive' in the eye of the beholder
Both are based on impact rather than intention
Both view the accused person as a 'perpetrator' and the accuser as a 'victim'
Both encourage the accuser to report their grievances to a third party rather than make a complaint directly to the person who has 'caused' offence
Does this mean, in effect, that the police are actually policing microaggressions? Do send us your thoughts and comments.
Open Therapy Institute Workshop Saturday 7 December 2024,
5.00–7.00pm GMT
Next weekend Carole Sherwood of Save Mental Health will be on the panel of a virtual workshop titled 'Wrestling with Racial and Cultural Reductionism'. The workshop is being held by the Open Therapy Institute in New York. Dr Michael Strambler and Ira Moses will each give a presentation. There will then be a panel discussion with Carole Sherwood. The discussion will focus on the problems that arise from making generalised assumptions about patients, based on their demographic group, and how this can damage patient care. Suggestions for overcoming these problems will also be explored. Andrew Hartz, CEO of the Open Therapy Institute, and Leslie Elliott Boyce will moderate the discussion. This is a continuing professional education event, designed predominantly for counsellors and social workers. More details can be found in this flyer. If you would like to attend, you can apply here.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Liberal Bullies: Inside the Mind of the Authoritarian Left
In this fascinating book, US social psychologist Luke Conway shows that "it's not just right-wing extremists who long for an authority figure to crush their enemies, silence opponents and restore order; it's also those who preach 'be kind' and celebrate their 'inclusivity'." Conway points out that "there are a lot of left-wing authoritarian leaders in politics and the media who are using their 'vast resources' to 'wreck the lives of people who they regard as having the wrong politics'. Conway's argument is easy to follow and the book is very readable. In the concluding chapter, he makes recommendations about how to speak out against authoritarianism and 'fight fire with fire without burning everything down'. An excellent book that comes highly recommended.