Expert guidance at the Mental Health Museum

The Mental Health Museum is a unique museum at Fieldhead in Wakefield. It houses a collection of mental health care related objects from the early 1800’s to today and presents the stories of those who experienced mental health care during this time.

The Museum is currently undergoing exciting regeneration work to ensure that its collection and displays can be used by people to explore the subject of mental health and wellbeing, highlighting values, opinions, attitudes and memories.

To help the Museums’ new curator Cara undertake this endeavour, Professor Sharlene Walbaum, senior lecturer in Psychology at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut spent two weeks diligently working through the collection, offering her advice, expertise and insight into materials.

Professor Walbaum also had the opportunity to meet Dawn Stephenson, director of corporate development during her time here, to discuss her work and the unique quality of the collection that the Mental Health Museum has.

Cara Sutherland, Museum curator explained, “As part of the exciting regeneration work we are developing a new strategy that will allow the museum to be used to break down barriers to wellbeing, reduce prejudice towards mental health problems and showcase the evolution of mental health care. Ultimately the museum will be a space for curiosity, enthusiasm and progression.

“I would like to extend a big thank you to Professor Walbaum for taking the time to work with me on the Museums collection. Her input was insightful and very welcome. I hope her time spent with us will inspire further investigations into our fantastic collection and aid Sharlene’s continued research into early asylums.”

For more information about the museum visit the dedicated website www.mentalhealthmuseum.co.uk