An introduction to mutual support groups based on the work of Alan Robinson

Abstract

This text is based on a reading of Alan Robinson’s work, from which the aim is to question the institution of ‘saneism’ and the logic behind psychiatric discourses. It is from this perspective that we turn to the possibility of posing and thinking about mutual support groups as a way to confront the over-individualisation of mental health perspectives, aiming at collective alternatives that escape from the predominant neoliberal logic. Part of the intention of this text is not only to make a brief tour of the background and tools that mutual support groups have, but also to think about the possibilities of their application within the field of mental health.