A collective narrative of care and complex mental illness

TL;DR

This paper explores how care is experienced by people with complex mental illnesses through shared stories and feminist ethics of care.

Contribution

It introduces collective narrative methodology to center patient voices in discussions about care and justice.

Findings

Care work is conceptualized through relationality and sensitivity to justice.

Collective storytelling is proposed as a way to include patient perspectives in care practices.

The methodology highlights the importance of interdependence in healthcare relationships.

Abstract

Caring is a fundamental concept in healthcare, yet it is fraught with challenges for people living with complex mental illnesses (CMI). Many scholars theorize relationality and interdependence in their definitions of care, however, there has paradoxically been a sustained failure to involve the testimonies and voices of the people who clinicians are connected to and have interdependent relationships with. Using the work of feminist ethics of care scholars Berenice Fisher and Joan Tronto, we conceptualize care work through relationality and sensitivity to (in)justice. While foregrounding relationality and justice, we used a collective narrative methodology and collective documentation to create stories of care. By documenting stories of care, we hope to contribute to the conversations on care and caring practices.

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