Interview and article by Binks Hub student intern Brigid McCormack as part of our series on human flourishing, following our human flourishing symposium in June 2023.
The flourishing of an individual is intrinsically attached to their community. “We are living in a time of crisis”, Mallory Hybl shares when expanding upon the importance of an environment focused on mental health.
As a postgraduate student on the University of Edinburgh masters program Global Mental Health and Society, Mallory examines mental health from a holistic, global, and societal perspective.
Exploring mental health at the intersection of environmental, human health, and young people’s wellness, Mallory is reshaping mental health as a societal concern rather than an individual problem. Despite the time of crisis, Mallory is hopeful global and societal change in mental health is entirely possible. She notes that we are also “living in a time of great challenge and great change”.
For Mallory, human flourishing through the expansion of holistic and global mental health practices is entirely achievable by centring vulnerable voices and connecting with others.
Community and collage
“How do we create a world in which people can better exist and flourish, and receive care when they need it”?
This question is central to Mallory’s exploration of mental health. In her masters thesis, she is focusing on young people’s mental health and exploring their conception of human flourishing by conducting research at Craigentinny-based community organisation The Ripple.
Witnessing all the good that has come of the opportunities at The Ripple for the Craigentinny community, Mallory is eager to be a part of The Ripple community. Volunteering with the youth services, Mallory will be using collage as an arts-based method to explore the conceptions that young people have about flourishing and mental health.
When asked if she has a personal connection with collage, Mallory laughs, “I wish I was more of an artist than I am! I think maybe that’s why I chose collage – I can be intimidated by art sometimes, but I love engaging with it.” Wanting to explore the medium herself, she believes collage allows for creative freedom and is accessible to those of all abilities.
With her project in the beginning phases, Mallory is eager to co-create alongside the young people at The Ripple and learn about flourishing from them.
Amplifying young voices
When discussing childhood studies, Mallory explains that young people’s perspectives and experiences are often neglected in previous research. “So much around children’s mental health and wellbeing is written by adults,” she says. “Because of their age, it’s assumed that adults know best.”
In her own research, Mallory wants to minimise the power imbalance between adults and young people, allowing them to be an authority without the need for adult justification. “Through collage and through this participatory method of creating together, I am hoping to allow the children and young people’s voices to come through and allow them to say what they think flourishing is and what’s most important to them”.
Amplifying young people and children’s voices then allows for a richer understanding of their perspectives and needs.
Flourishing as a communal act
Mallory notes that flourishing begins in both the individual and community. “In order to flourish, we need both individuals to be able to have the tools to take care of themselves but also be in a community where taking care [of each other] can also happen.”
Stifling the voices of young people means dismissing an important and valuable part of the community. Through her classes, companionship with her cohort, and her job working with in before-school care, Mallory recognizes the power and lessons that young people hold in their own experiences. “Flourishing to me is like being able to see another human as kin”.
Kinship between adults and young people leads toward a more compassionate world where human flourishing is a communal act.
Through her work with The Ripple, Mallory is forging a path toward a more compassionate world where young people’s experiences can further shape our understanding of what it means to be human and live in community.
In the face of challenges, Mallory is hopeful of a bright future: “I hope that we can begin to live in a more compassionate world. That’s why I have a lot of hope for the future as well. In my own experience, when I am my most compassionate and grounded and I am wanting to work for the betterment of our world.”
