Magda Furgalska, Lecturer in Law, the York Law School
Magda is a Lecturer in Law at the York Law School, where she is researching and teaching in the area of mental health law.
She is particularly interested in understanding how mental health law impacts people’s experiences of help-seeking and decision-making. Her research is socio-legal and employs empirical methods.
email: magdalena.furgalska@york.ac.uk
Our 60-second interview with Magda:
Could you please tell us what work you do in the field of mental health?
I am currently a Mental Health Stream Lead on the University-funded SPARKS project exploring administrative fairness in healthcare and working on understanding and improving the law and processes relating to mental health hospital admissions. My work has also explored the desirability of advance consent to mental health treatment (aka “a living will”), investigated how the concept of “insight” interacts with various legal provisions and considered how law can effectively support pregnant people who experience mental distress in making decisions relevant to health, pregnancy, and abortion. I am a big fan of using the capabilities approach in my research; I find it to be a helpful way of thinking uniquely about improving people's lives in practical and realistic ways. My research employs empirical methods, and I particularly enjoy visual research methods, narrative interviews, and co-production.
What do you find most rewarding and inspiring in this work?
I find collaborating with my colleagues (from all kinds of disciplines!) and experts by experience particularly inspiring and rewarding. Sharing ideas and being open to learning from one another can bring about significant changes which are inclusive and carefully thought-out.
What is the most challenging or complicated aspect of this work?
The stubbornness of the complex mental health law that survives the test of time! I learned that creating or proposing change requires innovative research approaches to challenge the status quo meaningfully. I also think that lawyers do not speak to psychiatrists and clinical professionals enough – we must all work together to improve people’s experiences of mental health care.
What impact do you hope your work is having - or can potentially have?
My work primarily aims to empower people to make their own decisions that are right for them and their circumstances. I hope my work contributes to creating a culture where people feel listened to and safe when accessing mental health care. This requires legal/policy interventions and working closely with professionals to implement changes on the ground.
Could you share with us one piece of advice that you follow for your own mental health?
Staying connected to people and pets! I stay connected with people I love and spend quality time with them regularly. I also find that affection from my pets lifts my mood considerably!