Mad Studies: The Basics

Earlier this year I published a book entitled, Mad Studies: The Basics. This book introduces Mad Studies as a critical orientation akin to, and often intersecting with, crip theory, queer theory, critical race studies, feminism, decolonialism, and other critical studies. As this suggests, Mad Studies is not simply the study of mental health and illness. Rather, Mad Studies embraces “a liberationist desire to resist, transform, and abolish oppressive practices within the systems that create marginalization, and implement frameworks and responses to madness and distress that are grounded within the collective knowledge of those deemed Mad” (pp. 1-2). I wrote this book as a contribution to Mad Studies field-building; despite its growth, there are still many who have never heard of Mad Studies. The field is sometimes still referred to as ‘emerging,’ but with a robust body of literature, an international journal, and many post-secondary course offerings, it’s safe to say that Mad Studies is an established field in its own right. The book showcases some of the many contributions of Mad Studies and demonstrates that it is no longer emerging; it has arrived!