Restoring connections in physical activity and mental health research and practice: a confessional tale

Abstract

This paper is a confessional tale about research and practice in the context of sport, physical activity and mental health. The centrepiece of the paper is an ethnographic fiction which, through a series of scenes, tells of our experiences of providing and researching a nine‐week golf programme for a group of men with severe and enduring mental health problems. Ethnographic fiction is a writing strategy which we chose for its ability to both generate and communicate the alternative kinds of knowledge which can be gained through ethnographic research. We reflect on the ways in which this writing strategy led us to a heightened awareness of the intricate web of connections – between people, places, experiences, events, objects and biographies – evident within this particular socio‐cultural setting. Awareness of these connections, we suggest, is necessary if we are to understand (1) the potential roles of sport and exercise for people with mental health difficulties, and (2) the methodological challenges faced by researchers in this field.

Keywords:

• confessional tale
• ethnographic fiction
• golf
• mental health
• narrative
• reflexivity

Acknowledgements

While the characters described in the stories are fictional, it would not have been possible to create these characters without having access to people who were willing to share their lives with us. We would therefore re‐iterate our appreciation to all those who have participated in our research. Our research in mental health would not have been possible without the generous support of mental health professionals. We would also once again like to thank these individuals for their continued support and encouragement. Finally, we would like to thank and acknowledge the comments of the two anonymous reviewers, for their insight, observations, awareness and encouragement on an earlier version of this manuscript.

Notes

1. In the UK a person is typically considered to be experiencing a severe and enduring mental health problem when some or all of the five dimensions apply. According to the Department of Health (1996) the dimensions are: (1) concerns about safety: unintentional self‐harm (i.e., self‐neglect), intentional self‐harm, safety of others and abuse from others; (2) care needs: both formal (e.g., day centres, professional help, hospital admissions, medication, voluntary services) and informal (e.g., family, friends) assistance are required; (3) diagnosis: around three‐quarters of people with a severe and enduring mental health problem have a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder; (4) disability: a primary factor which distinguishes this client group from other users of mental health services is the level of disability they experience as a result of their illness; and (5) duration: recent definitions refer to the presence of any of the above dimensions for in excess of six months.