Mental Health and Rights
The Open Society Foundations work to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities or who experience mental health challenges can live free of discrimination and stigma.
Bridging the Gap
Q&A: A Groundbreaking Vision of Art and Humanity
Based on the pioneering work of Dr. Nise da Silveira, Brazil’s Museum of Images from the Unconscious is revolutionizing the way we think and talk about mental health.
Rest in Peace
Remembering David Rothman, a Liberator and Pioneer
Rothman, a scholar-advocate of the highest order who had a profound influence on Open Society, wrote on a wide array of subjects concerning ethics and medicine, and helped free thousands of people from involuntary institutionalization.
Event recap
People with Disabilities, Public Policy, and the “Right to Fail”
A new documentary from PBS Frontline and ProPublica poses a challenging question: How can policymakers ensure a “right to fail” when it comes to providing care to people transitioning out of group homes?
Valuing Lived Experience
The Need for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Global Mental Health
A growing body of research shows that Western models of mental health don’t work for everyone. When it comes to care or policy, policymakers should first listen to those with lived experience of mental health challenges.
Voices
Our Approach to Mental Health Isn’t Working
Viewing mental illness as a biological disease of the brain—inevitable, incurable, genetic—is not only wrong on scientific grounds, but neglects the experiences of the best authorities on people’s mental health: themselves.
Voices
“Rogues” and “Vagabonds” No More: Ending Africa’s Imperial Legacy of Absurd Petty Offenses
Archaic colonial era laws originally imposed to control local populations still endure in Africa, allowing police to harass and arrest people who have done nothing wrong.
Voices
Zambia Is Pioneering a New Approach to Criminal Justice for People with Disabilities
Once in the system, people with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities can remain trapped forever. Now, a coalition of advocates is altering the landscape.
Voices
Long Ignored in Global Development, Mental Illness Is Declared a Top Priority
In a major shift with far-reaching implications, two global institutions acknowledged the impact of mental illness on issues like poverty and economic growth.