Emotional wellbeing as a matter of relationships and love: insights for social work from mental health peer mentor trainees, carers and practitioners
Dyann Ross, Mary Couche, John F. Connolly, Bindi Bennett
Abstract
The research gathered lived experience accounts of emotional wellbeing as a counter to the over-focus on illness and deficit language and approaches in mental health practice. The exploratory research study involved semi-interviews with mental health peer mentor trainees, carers and practitioners to explore their ideas about emotional wellbeing, what enabled it and what challenged their wellbeing. Emotional wellbeing was understood as a fluctuating continuum of capacities to engage in everyday activities, to self-care and to foster relationships with others. The absence of emotional wellbeing was linked to a reduced quality of relationships and ability to love.
Topics & Concepts
Mental healthPsychologyWell-beingEmotional well-beingMental illnessFocus groupQualitative researchExploratory researchDevelopmental psychologyPsychotherapistSociologySocial scienceAnthropologyMental Health and Patient InvolvementFamily Caregiving in Mental IllnessFamily Support in Illness