Tough reading tonight. I have downloaded about 25 articles on depression in the work place. Entirely relevant for the research and some key data and approaches are covered well by the authors, doesn't stop it being slightly glum reading though. Most of the articles I have accessed are not about personal experiences - that reading comes later - and that is oddly less gloomy. People's narratives are always full of strength even if they are talking about times when things may have been particularly difficult. There is a welcome voyeurism attached to reading the personal stories of people; through their voices we learn about their experiences and from the way they choose to tell us we learn about their feelings towards these experiences - often we find more in the things they do not say. We dip momentarily into their life and their interpretation of it and we leave no footprint. We are not there to comment, console or correct. We are there to observe and to perhaps learn. Therefore we creep in and we creep out and those stories that touch us we think about in private later. The articles I have read today are different.
They are policy driven. They are interpretations of how legislation has been developed. They are suggested theory. They are statistics and they are depressing. They are not charting a human story, they are a representation of human failure in black and white. Failure of society to adequately legislate, failure to build an inclusive agenda, failure to develop and support a workforce that considers the mental health of its workers. Failure to engage with people's narratives to let them inform future agendas. Pages and pages written about stigma and discrimination. Coldly, starkly and matter of factly. Without the human element it is a long way down and a mountain to climb back up.
However, it must be read. Therefore I will approach it in the same way. Calmly and coldly. I will theme. I will table. I will order. Then I will take a bit of time to reflect and look up from the bottom every now and then to wave.
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI read your post with interest. Most research articles are not about personal experiences. This seems to be the norm in research writing. Some research relating to personal experiences and case studies might reveal some narratives and personal anecdotes, but normally summarised for the sake of illustrating concepts or diagnosis of issues, or the theory and policy that you mentioned. Policy is a just part of the health system, and it's the human element which would add significant value to the improvement to mental health, I suppose. Feelings, emotions are what matters to people, whereas policy is a way to ensure adequate support, duty of care, and an alignment of people, technology and system are in place to achieve the vision or mission as defined in an institution or a mental scheme. Good luck to your study. John
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteMy blog address is http://suifaijohnmak.wordpress.com Thanks.
John