School of Social and Political Science

Background

I'm a PhD student in social anthropology researching voice-hearing, meaning-making in psychosis, and alternative approaches to forced psychiatric treatment. My background is in documentary filmmaking and I received my MSc in Global Mental Health in 2020 at the University of Edinburgh (with distinction).  

Peer reviewed publications

Jordan, G., Ng, F., & Thomas, R. (2023). How clinicians can support posttraumatic growth following psychosis: A perspective piece. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 1-6. doi:10.1017/ipm.2023.7

Magazine publications 

Thomas, R. (2022) 'The Transformative Potential of Psychosis', Mad in America, 21 July.

Gupta, V., Jordan, G., Thomas, R. (2022) 'Psychosis can be a personal hell. It can also inspire growth', Psyche Magazine, 26 September. 

Ethnographic Film

I directed and produced a short film, titled Unexpected Guests, in collaboration with Elisabeth Svanholmer. The film explores Elisabeth’s unusual perceptions and experiences, how she makes sense of and finds value in them, and brings them into our shared social world. The film was funded by the Our Minds Scholarship through the University of Edinburgh Neuroscience department, and screened at the Edinburgh Science Festival. 

Selected Guest lectures 

October 2025 - 'Ethnographic Film and Therapeutic Pluralism' for the postgraduate and undergraduate courses 'Medical Anthropology' in Social Anthropology, University of Edinburgh 

September 2025 - 'Maddening Research; Reimagining Madness' for the postgraduate course 'Critical approaches to Global Mental Health and Social Change' in Global Mental Health, University of Edinburgh

October 2024 - 'Reimagining Madness, Voice-Hearing, and Invisible Worlds,' for the postgraduate course 'Critical approaches to Global Mental Health and Social Change' in Global Mental Health, University of Edinburgh

November 2024 - 'Beyond Pathology: Working with Psychosis, Voice-Hearing and Unshared Realities,' for the course 'Mental Health Officer Award' in Advanced Social Work Studies, University of Edinburgh.

February 2024 - 'Visual Methods, Documentary Film and Ethnography,' for the postgraduate course 'Qualitative Methods and Ethnographic Fieldwork' in Anthropology, University of Edinburgh.

February 2024 - 'Visual Methods, Documentary Film and Ethnography,' for the undergraduate course 'Ethnography: Theory and Practice' in Anthropology, University of Edinburgh.

November 2023 - 'Understanding Psychosis, Voice-Hearing and Unshared Realities,' for the postgraduate course 'Critical Approaches to Global Mental Health and Social Change' in Global Mental Health, University of Edinburgh. 

November 2023 'Working with voice-hearing and altered states,' for the course 'Mental Health Officer Award' in Advanced Social Work Studies, University of Edinburgh.

November 2022- 'Reconceptualising Crisis and Response to Crisis,' for the course 'Mental Health Officer Award' in Advanced Social Work Studies, University of Edinburgh.

November 2021 - 'The Transformative Potential of Psychosis,' for the course 'Mental Health Officer Award' in Advanced Social Work Studies, University of Edinburgh.

Selected conference and webinar presentations 

'Coexisting Webs of Meaning in Psychosis and Hearing Voices Support' IEPA Conference (The International Early Intervention and Prevention in Mental Health Association). Berlin, Germany, September 2025, Freie Universität. 

'The Transformative Potential of Psychosis', ISPS Conference. Helsinki, Finland, June 2024, Aalto University. 

'How do we know what we ‘know’? Thinking across epistemologies and methodologies in global mental health' Edinburgh Mental Health Conference. Edinburgh, UK, April 2024, University of Edinburgh. 

'Lived Experience in Global Mental Health' Global Mental Health Day. Edinburgh, UK, September, 2023, University of Edinburgh. 

'Bridging Divergent Realities Through Film and Photography: Valuing "Living" Experience Through Visual Methods', Too Mad To Be True Philosophy and Psychiatry Conference. Ghent, Belgium, May 2023, Museum Dr. Guislain. 

'Unsettling Serious Mental Illness: Polyphonous Understandings of Intense Mental States' Panel Presentation', American Anthropological Association. Seattle, USA, November 2022, Seattle Convention Centre. 

‘How Clinicians can Facilitate Positive Change and Post-traumatic Growth Following an Episode of Psychosis’ (webinar with Dr. Gerald Jordan and Dr. Fiona Ng) [online] New England, USA, November 2021, Mental Health Technology Transfer Centre Network.

‘An Overview of Positive Change and Post-traumatic Growth Following an Episode of Psychosis’ (webinar with Dr. Gerald Jordan and Dr. Fiona Ng) [online] New England, USA, November 2021, Mental Health Technology Transfer Centre Network.

Awards

2023 Our Minds Scholarship, University of Edinburgh

2022-2026 School of Social and Political Science Scholarship, University of Edinburgh 

2021 Award for Best Overall Performance (MSc in Global Mental Health programme, University of Edinburgh)