Mad Topics

 

Welcome to Mad Topics!

Welcome to the hub of Mad Topics, a holistic, international, and interdisciplinary framework of praxis, research, and education! Mad Topics provides various forms of scholarship, resources, and more related to mental health literacy, with a focus on sharing the lived experiences of Mad persons: Lived experience = expertise.

The term “Mad Topics” was created by Dr. Kinsey Simone to represent action research and praxis within the context of “Mad Studies”, or a research field which examines the lived experiences of people who would have previously been termed “Mad”, such as those with mental disorders or disabilities (International Mad Studies Journal, 2025). Since its launch with the first symposium on obsessive-compulsive and attention deficit hyperactivity, Mad Topics has reached over 1,000 persons in outreach, support, and connection. In 2025, the second annual symposium on anxiety and depression was hosted. Currently, Mad Topics supports 20+ students who are MAD Scholars or contribute service to praxis and research surrounding Madness. The MAD Scholars program, MAD = Mad-Identified & Allies of (invisible) Disabilities(ness), is a support staff of undergraduate and graduate students that works closely with our program and research team. Currently, MAD Scholars represent all nine colleges across campus and are making an impact in research, service, outreach, and more.

Mad Topics praxis includes community scholarship and service, as well as internal outreach events and scholarship. Symposia panels each reached 200+ individuals, with research by the Mad Topics Research Team (first quantitative Mad Study to be published coming soon) indicating effectiveness of these symposia in perceived increased  awareness and empathy around mental health Issues and (invisible) disabilities. We are thrilled to announce our nomination for the 2026 Graweyemeyer Award, in which Dr. Simone and Mad Topics were nominated by the Tn Tech College of Education & Human Sciences in May 2025. This award “recognize[s] highly constructive ideas with world changing potential” (see more here). Additionally, we are excited to announce that Mad Topics has been invited as an Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) institutional member, beginning in July 2025, a spot usually reserved for licensed groups, such as clinical professionals.

Our Mad Topics Research Team, created in 2024 and led by Dr. Simone, is made up of reputable and esteemed scholars from around the world! Currently our team consists of:

• Dr. Kinsey Simone, Tn Tech: Founder/Director, quantitative researcher with lived experience of OCD,  ADHD, & Complex PTSD

• Dr. David T. Culkin, Kansas State University: Co-author of OCD and Marriage, veteran, qualitative researcher with lived OCD & autism experience

• Dr. Amy Callender, Tn Tech: SPED professor, former school psychologist, autism in children focus (2024 clinical perspective panelist)

• Dr. Leann Taylor, Tn Tech: Instructional leadership, lived ADHD experience, former school principal (2024 lived experience panelist)

• Dr. Cole Wise, Rutherford County Schools: SPED instructional coach in Tennessee, lived OCD experience, member of OCD Tn (Tn Chapter of International OCD Foundation)

• Yongmei Shi, MA, Tn Tech: International doctoral student researcher from China, past school principal and founder

• Louise Struwe, BA, University of Vienna, Ljubljana, Slovenia: Masters student in Slovenia studying Cognitive Science; lived OCD experience, framing thesis in Mad Studies, focus on obsessive-compulsive experience (OCE)

• McClane Oakley, BS, Tn Tech: MS student in School Counseling, research focus surrounding Mad Topics benefits for school counselors

• Lydia Schultz, BA, Tn Tech: MA student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

We invite you to explore our Mad Topics website, where you will find mental health resources, research and publication links, how to get involved, and information on our past panels.

 

 

Upcoming Events

» 2025 Symposium

Additional Mad Topics Information

» 2024 Mad Topics: OCD & ADHD
» 2025 Mad Topics: Anxiety & Depression
» Meet the Founder, Dr. Kinsey Simone
» Mad Topics: Extra Resources
» Get Involved: Student Worker & Service Hours
» View the Lending Library Flyer

 

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Talking about mental health can sometimes be uncomfortable. We have mental health professionals at all Mad Topics events who are available to direct attendees to supportive resources. Virtual attendees and readers at any point can call the TN Tech Center for Counseling and Mental Wellness at 931-372-3331 or the Eagle Eye After Hours Crisis Hotline at 855-206-8997.

CENTER FOR COUNSELING AND MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS

Did you know?

• Some courses offer students extra credit for attending Mad Topics!
• Educators can receive Professional Development Hours for attending Mad Topics!
• Licensed mental health professionals should determine whether this panel is suitable for Continuing Education Unit (CEU) hours for their division, as per Board of Psychology requirements. Mad Topics symposia aligns with requirements for a professional workshop (see 1180-01-.08, 2.C.2.) and/or academic preparation (see 1180-01-.08, 2.D.ii), and could also pertain to cultural diversity due to discussion of disability stigmas (see 1180-01.-08, 1.d.). It is up to each licensed professional to determine the merit of this event for their specific CE requirements.

To learn more about extra credit, PD, and/or CEU opportunities, email madtopics@tntech.edu. Information is also available at all Mad Topics events and on Mad Topics programs.