The contribution of lay knowledge to the understanding and promotion of mental health

Abstract

This article reports the findings of one study within a Health Education Authority funded family health research programme. The study sought to elicit the views of people from different family backgrounds about notions of mental health, the ways in which the latter is maintained and views about emotional support. The article outlines some findings from this study. An apparent disjuncture is outlined between a lay preference for attributing the determinants of mental health to socio-structural factors on the one hand and, on the other, a focus on personal agency as the primary tenable means of dealing with threats to psychological wellbeing. It is argued that this co-existence of attributions about structure and agency, which also reflect the constraints surrounding professional interventions, could provide the basis of a partnership between professionals and lay people in mental health promotion and service delivery. The social policy implications of lay views are discussed in conclusion.