On being a girlfriend not a patient: The quest for an acceptable identity amongst people diagnosed with a severe mental illness

Abstract

Background: Whilst the ways in which mental illness influences personhood have been documented, how social support can forge a more positive identity has not been explored.

Aims: Using Goffman's theories of stigma the aim of this paper is to report on a qualitative study of how 17 people diagnosed with a severe mental illness received and provided social support in order to forge and manage a less stigmatizing identity than that of “being sick”. Courtesy-stigma as an issue for those trying to live “ordinary” lives is highlighted.

Method: Qualitative research methods were used including unstructured open-ended interviews.

Results: Individuals reported that social support could be helpful in terms of developing a more “acceptable” identity, which enabled some degree of social integration into mainstream life. On the other hand, people who managed to “escape” from lives defined by their mental health status, sometimes found life on the outside stressful and rejecting. This led to some seeking refuge in the mental health community again.

Conclusion: Social support plays a vital role in the construction of a more valuable identity than that of patient.

Declaration of interest: The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health sponsored the research.

Keywords:

• Mental health
• courtesy-stigma

Notes

1 This paper uses data from an unpublished PhD. The citation is as follows: Barnes, A. (2004). The role of social support in the delivery of mental health programmes for people with severe mental illness living in the community. University of Kent.

2 This section is based on personal experience of providing essential services to homeless people with mental illness during this period. The best-published reference is Hunt and Hemmings (1991).