“Attention seeker”, “drama queen”: the power of talk in constructing identities for young people with mental health difficulties
| Date | 08 June 2015 |
| Pages | 65-78 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/MHRJ-08-2014-0028 |
| Published date | 08 June 2015 |
| Author | Alison Byrne,Lorraine Swords |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health |
“Attention seeker”,“drama queen”: the
power of talk in constructing identities for
young people with mental health
difficulties
Alison Byrne and Lorraine Swords
Alison Byrne is based at the
School of Psychology, Trinity
College, Dublin, Ireland.
Dr Lorraine Swords is based at
the School of Psychology,
Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
and Children’s Research
Centre, Trinity College, Dublin,
Ireland.
Abstract
Purpose –Mental health difficulties are often stigmatised because of situated ways of talking that become
taken-for-granted “truths”. Against this backdrop, identities of those affected are constructed. The purpose of
this paper isto explore identities offormer inpatients at an Irish Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
Design/methodology/approach –Ten young people (aged 18-22) participated in discussions and their
discourse was analysed using a critical discursive perspective.
Findings –Three key identities emerged: a hidden identity, a misunderstood identity and the struggle for a
re-claimed identity.
Research limitations/implications –Findings indicate the power of discourse in creating stigma and the
need for mental health professionals to draw on empowering discourses to help service-users construct
positive identities. The importance of involving service-users in research is also implicated.
Originality/value –This research involves service-users who are increasingly, although not traditionally,
involved in research. Use of qualitative methodology allows their voices to be heard and gives meaning to
their experiences.
Keywords Language, Identity, Adolescence, Self-concept, Mental health, Stigma
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Individuals are multiply situated within the contexts of family, society, culture and history, and identities
are constructed within these contexts (Kaposi, 2011; Wetherell, 1996). According to the critical
discursive perspective (CDP) taken in this study, identities are considered as multiple, constructed in
discourse and fluid (Edley, 2001; Kaposi, 2011; Wetherell, 1996), with people drawing on existing,
common sense ideas to interpret and evaluate their reality (Edley, 2001). These discourses
“are informed by power relations and are located within societal structures and ideologies”
(Zeeman and Simons, 2011, p. 713). CDP then, is a synthesis of linguistic ethnography and
post-structuralism. Linguistic ethnographyfocuses on linguistic resources that are performative at
local,individual levels whilepost-structuralismfocuses on power relationsoperating at sociocultural
levels (Edley,2001; Wetherell, 1996,1998). We use languageand create vocabulariesto construct
versions of reality that, over time, become taken-for-granted “truths”or repertoires, and that hold
power to dictateactions (Walker, 2006;Wetherell, 2007). Discoursepositions individualsin relation
to existing repertoires, although individuals canalso put discourse to use to create new positions
that suit better(Edley, 2001; Reicher, 2004).The positions we occupy are inextricably linked to our
identities and often reflect taken-for-granted assumptions (Banarjee, 2005; Kaposi, 2011).
Received 8 August 2014
Revised 2 February 2015
19 March 2015
Accepted 31 March 2015
The authors would like to thank
the young people who gave their
time generously to participate in
this study. Thanks are also due to
the anonymous reviewers and
journal editor for their helpful
comments and editorial assistance
in earlier drafts of this paper.
DOI 10.1108/MHRJ-08-2014-0028 VOL. 20 NO. 2 2015, pp. 65-78, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1361-9322
j
MENTALHEALTH REVIEW JOURNAL
j
PAG E 65
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