A lecture exploring conceptions of mental health and illness including the use of diagnostic and statistical manuals. Stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness is also touched upon with emphasis on how current conceptions of mental illness may contribute to stigma.

In May 2013 the American Psychiatric Association plans to launch the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version 5. This is apparently the most anticipated event in the mental health field and is accompanied by hype more often associated with the release of a new iphone (and the similarity doesn’t end there). This presentation will explore the scientism associated and perpetuated by these diagnostic manuals, the notion that faith, rather than science underpins many of the assertions made by spokespeople (often with conflicted interests) in the mental health industry and it will consider the impact of these manuals on mental health practice culture. Cite As: Lakeman, R. (2012, 19th April). Give the people a new word and they think they have a new fact. Paper presented at the NSW Branch of the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing - 2012 Education Forum - Healing: Making the Implicit Explicit: New Paradigms in the Neuroplasticity Era Southern Cross University, Lismore and by video conference.

Lakeman, R. (2009, 4 - 5 November). What health professionals need to do to help people in mental health recovery: Consensus from experts by experience [Keynote]. Paper presented at the Making thriving a reality: Towards and beyond mental health recovery Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.

Lakeman, R. (2009, 24-25 September). A bad outcome: A discussion about research, outcome measurement and suicide [Keynote]. Paper presented at the Mental Health service users and research: Measuring success – different perspectives (RCN International Network for Psychiatric Nursing Research (NPNR) Conference), St Cross Building, University of Oxford.