Discourse analysis as a tool for uncovering the lived experience of dementia: Metaphor framing and well-being in early-onset dementia narratives

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore how metaphor is mobilized to frame and describe the lived experience of dementia in a corpus of illness narratives compiled from 10 blogs initiated and maintained by individuals diagnosed with early-onset dementia. The article is set against the background of contemporary healthcare practices and discourse around chronic illness and focuses on the metaphors that patients use to communicate about their dementia experience in relation to three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness, which are essential for human well-being and are heavily challenged in complex medical situations. Results are discussed in terms of the framing metaphors provide of the emotional, psychological impact of dementia and their implications for patient-centered care. This study expands prior work by researching metaphors used for a condition that has been scarcely explored from this point of view and by focusing on the patient’s perspective exclusively.

The (in)accuracies of floating leaves: How people with varying experiences of dementia differently position the same visual metaphor

“…The foregoing analysis demonstrates that metaphor interpretation in relation to dementia is subjective and context dependent ( Castaño, 2020 ). This particular visual metaphor contributes a novel case study into the range of responses that can be expressed amongst even a small, fairly homogenous group of people (here, mainly white working/middle class British people actively engaged with their community in the Midlands).…”

“…It is consistently shown that the meanings of metaphors and images are highly subjective and contextual ( ño, 2020 ; Pink, 2011 ; Winter et al, 2020 ). Existing research that incorporates the perspectives of people affected by dementia currently focuses upon researchers’ analyses of people’s verbal or written metaphorical expressions ( Brown Wilson et al, 2021 ; Castaño, 2020 ; Golden et al, 2012 ; Johannessen et al, 2015 ; Peel & Harding, 2014 ; Thorsen & Johannessen, 2021 ; Zimmermann, 2017 ). Yet, metaphors are also manifest in a range of non-verbal communicative modes, including gesture, images, sound and film ( Forceville & Urios-Aparisi, 2009 ; Semino & Demjén, 2016 ).…”

Understanding Youth’s Lived Experience of Anxiety through Metaphors: A Qualitative, Arts-Based Study

“…In this way, metaphorical language stabilizes chaos and instils a sense of control by capturing what is impossible to describe literally [ 42 , 43 ]. Across illness experiences, metaphors have proven to be essential to the way patients make sense and communicate about their illness, including its physical, emotional, and psychological implications [ 42 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 ].…”

“…With regard to mental illness specifically, the literature has focused on patients’ use of metaphors in narratives of distress, well-being, and recovery [ 45 , 50 , 51 ], as well as metaphor use in public messaging about mental health [ 52 , 53 ]. Metaphors provide a compact, vivid portrayal of an experience [ 39 ], acting as a “gateway into the perceptual world of others” [ 19 ], especially for experiences that are outside the “normal” frame of reference for many, such as addiction [ 49 , 51 ].…”

We are what we hear: metaphors in contemporary Spanish and English commercial hits

“…Caballero (2014) evidenced that metaphors are vital to understand architecture, where figurative expressions are used on an everyday basis to comprehend the layout of constructions and buildings, for example, a structure or design that resembles a seahorse. And Castaño (2020) relates metaphors with dementia, describing how patients affected by this terrible disease face their actual reality in terms of figurative expressions that help them to express their feelings: "Every day is a battle". All in all, metaphors are described as powerful linguistic tools to express feelings and ideological perspectives.…”