Destigmatising mental illness: the Sheffield story

This episode explores the transformation of mental healthcare in Sheffield during the twentieth century to address the stigma of mental illness. Such changes were led by prominent local figures like physician Sir Arthur Hall and psychiatrist Professor F.A. Jenner but also by ‘service-users’ themselves. It is important to consider how such changes were experienced by patients to understand the extent to which they addressed stigma in practice.

Telling this story helps to open up future conversations about the relationship between mental healthcare, mental illness and stigma in the past. It also shows why history remains vital in helping us engage with ongoing public and policy debates in the present.

To enhance the historical perspective, our colleague Dr. Chris Blackmore from the School of Medicine and Population Health explores the evolving language of mental health in his podcast, Middlewood of the Mind. Inspired by Sheffield's Middlewood Hospital, the podcast features insightful discussions with guests Amanda Crawley Jackson, Ian McMillan, Patrick Murphy, and Brendan Stone, as well as collaborators from Sheffield Flourish. Together, they examine how the language surrounding mental health has shifted over time and continues to evolve.

The podcast emerged from the ‘Mind: Your Language’ project, a creative exploration of the conversation between past and present. This project, which included an exhibition, a public talk, and a book by Patrick Murphy and Ian McMillan, was part of the 2024 Festival of the Mind, organised by the University of Sheffield.