A new scoping review calls on the field of psychology to move beyond individual-focused interventions and embrace the role of public policy, law, and social structures in shaping mental health. In their paper published in Behavioral Sciences, researchers Moonika Moonveld and Joanne McVeigh argue for a new discipline—macropsychology—to bridge the gap between psychological research and systemic change.
“While psychology has traditionally been focused at the individual level, a greater focus is needed on policies and law at the macro level,” they write, “including areas that are underpinned by psychological concerns such as the distribution of resources, power relations, and the settings and conditions required for people to exercise their rights.”
This effort is part of a growing movement that challenges psychology’s traditional emphasis on the internal workings of the individual and instead asks how the systems that govern people’s lives—such as economic policy, education systems, and health care—create or exacerbate suffering.
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“Psychologists Call for a New Discipline to Tackle Systemic Harms” – absurdity. They are not even able to approach the system from outside of it, because if they could, they would not try and build anything new on the Twin Towers when it has just been struck – it is pretentious even to aim to construct if and when the buildings collapse, because by then we might want to revisit our structures of psuedo-experts that allowed for the destruction of the whole human world, it’s toppling and capturing by forces of immense evil and stupidity, all the while unable to do anything even about the enormous damage and violence, lies and exploitation in the whole mental health treatment field which continues even to this day entirely unabated. Now, do you or do you not see the obvious truth of this? If you do, then see how absurd all your responses to the problem, and admit that you have no answer to it intellectually and socially. Only then can you look at the problem from outside the system – i.e. once you’ve stopped allowing the system to work you through your socially conditioned responses too the system which are of course still a product of the system. It’s these socially conditioned responses you are all caught up in hence your impotence in the face of that which you criticize. To transform this become a free human being which means be creatively free, and see how much more you can do in that creative freedom. You will undoubtably draw on and may or may not continue your campaign against psychiatry but either way you will be doing what you do informed by the true solution, which is your creative freedom and all our creative freedom today. Creative freedom implies freedom from the structures of society which includes the intellectual domination of our lives which is the domination of society through our social conditioning meaning society can make you type articles for MIA merely by manipulating your puppet strings.
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CORRECT….
Laboratory experiments for Alcohol addiction and addictive behavior recognize the pathophysiology as valid parameters….bypassing the major known factor of “cues” as triggers and reinforcers of addictive behavior. When presenting the Summary these “cues” are totally absent from recognition and from. discussion. Another blond spot by these Elitists. George Moskowitz M.D Family Physician
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I have a dream. In that dream I’m going to lead every racist American into my special and enormous machine which through enormous force will squash them instantly into one tight, packed, steaming, leathery cube. And then I’ll turn that enormous leathery cube into a cured meat product which I’ll give to the United Nations as American bacon, because it will probably taste very similar and there’s no point in doing them a moral injury by telling them, when we know full well we and they are doing the Earth and the Universe an enormous favour, not to mention ourselves. It’ll probably help these deceased racist Americans as well by tempering the flames of hell as Satan puts most of them out with one enormous involunatary belly laugh. And that was probably because he heard God trying not to laugh in heaven which made the angels laugh and sent shockwaves throughout the music of the spheres which could no longer control themselves and for a moment sound like Share on Acid playing along side an avant garde no-wave jazz band.
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Excuse me, social work has been addressing this since forever. Do not act like this is the invention of said wheel.
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It’s always nice to see that this comment section is such a vibrant community for the mad isn’t it, where we all hang out. It must be crazy day today though.
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Exactly! I’m shocked to see liberation Psychology and now macropsych popping up as novelty– that’s what social work is all about, even in private practice! This has actually been our critique of psych from the beginning, so I’m glad there is now a focus of the effects of the sociopolitical environment. Those experiences matter!
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When “science” learns we are all unique, precious, children of our Creator…all endowed with unique gifts, which can be used for Ultimate Good…it will help bring about the change necessary in the treatment of human disress. Then normal variations will be seen for what they are. I’m sorry if this hurts some. A thirty-year ret. psych RN and Catholic religious.
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Social psychology and social structure and personality are subfields of sociology that incorporate psychological perspectives on a macro scale. Also, I believe there’s a social psychology subfield in psychology doing this work too. Interested to know what a new subdiscipline is would accomplish. Also bacon guy you’re a weirdo.
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There is already such a framework and it is social work. Social Work considers the, “person in environment” lense. The person responds and adapts to the social environment. Social Work considers how the, biopsychosocial interactions influence behaviors, thoughts, perceptions, and psychosocial interactions. Naturally, through this lense, macro, mezzo, and micro factors are observed.
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Good points.
Psychology these days seems to be having an identity crisis which is ironic because it never had much of an identity to start with.
IMHO.
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I recieved my Masters in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. This program is the first ofnits kind beginning in the 70’s. This program specifically addresses the macro forces that shape us as individuals and communities. Dr. George Henderson the first black head of a department at O.U. recieved threats. He understood that racism, sexism, and the culture of other was and is about classicism. In these dangerous times we live in the players on the stage in D.C. and world wide are impacting my clients concerns daily. They cannot plan for their future or make decisions under the chaos we are experiencing particularly in the U.S. With the advent of a world economy and 24 7 news cycle we are in constant flux. Many sensitive clients are picking up the general anxiety in the population as well and thinking it is something they are doing wrong.
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Classism has always been and will always be the biggest elephant in the room, even among the most “socially minded”.
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I think Sociology already exists…and could use more respect lol.
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I agree, Sociology deserves a lot more respect… it was my favorite subject in college because it struck me as being more connected to reality while psychology seemed more focused on barking at the moon.
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There’s got to be a reason so many psychological researchers never directly address the issue of money when money seems to be one of the most macro-psychological things known to mankind.
Has it ever occurred to these researchers that perhaps the majority of people’s psychological problems might come from being part of a shrinking middle class, problems that for many could be alleviated by an implementing of fairer tax system? Or is that too crude a solution for them to consider?
No need for establishing new “fields” of tiresome psychological engineering when the answer to the majority of people’s macro-psychological problems have more to do with a shrinking bank account than paying homage to a slew of overeducated ambulance chasers more interested in manufacturing problems than enacting solutions.
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I recall some interviews done with working class folks about why they did not relate to therapy. A lot of them said that they’d feel a lot less depressed if they could pay their bills every month and didn’t have to worry about getting food on the table. Talking about how they felt about being poor didn’t really help much!
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The working class have way more insight into economic disparity than most of the psychologists entertaining themselves prancing around the internet preaching “social justice”.
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There’s nothing more psychologically “macro” than having financial stability. Abstract theories don’t pay the bills.
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