Changing the narrative: The British Psychological Society report ‘Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia’

Conversation with Anne Cooke and Peter Kinderman

Anne Cooke is the editor and Peter is a co-author of the British Psychological Society’s recent ground-breaking report ‘Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia: why people sometimes hear voices, believe things that others find strange, or appear out of touch with reality, and what can help’, which has attracted widespread media coverage and debate. It was written by a group of 25 clinical psychologists drawn from eight UK universities and the UK National Health Service, together with people who have themselves experienced psychosis.

It provides an accessible overview of the current state of knowledge, and its conclusions have profound implications both for the way we understand ‘mental illness’ and for the future of mental health services. In this talk Anne and described the motivation behind it, the reactions it has received, and outlined its main messages.