Learning to manage a mental health condition: Caring for the self and ‘normalizing’ identity at work

Abstract

This article examines the internal and external pressures to ‘normalize’ identity in relation to individuals experiencing mental health conditions (MHCs) at work. The data takes the form of three vignettes extracted from a larger empirical study of 60 interviews. These explore the tensions surrounding identity for individuals experiencing MHCs as well as their interventions to suppress exhibiting the condition. The analysis captures a number of competing meanings surrounding identity in relation to learning to care for the self and managing MHCs. Our contribution is to explore the relationships between learning to care for the self and the performativity of ‘normalizing’ identity in managing MHCs at work. It also provides a potential means of integrating Foucault’s ethics of caring for the self with the literature on identity in ways that can be illuminating for those who manage their MHCs and the demands of work through processes of ‘normalization’. This analysis offers theoretical insights regarding how identity work may be self-defeating in exacerbating MHCs and therefore is of some practical benefit for managers, health professionals and those experiencing MHCs since they often leave individuals with little choice but to intensify their attempts to ‘normalize’ their identities.

A relational perspective of schizophrenia at work

“…This research adds to the diversity management literature as this is a form of diversity that is invisible and remains ignored (Scholz and Ingold, 2021). While the literature has focused on surface-level diversity based on observable characteristics like race, gender and age, mental illness is more of a deep-level diversity characteristic, which has not received much attention (Elraz and Knights, 2021; Boucher, 2017). This research also contributes to the disability literature by delineating the social barriers and restrictions facing SCZ individuals in addition to physical or cognitive impairment associated with disability.…”

Learning from difference and similarity: Identities and relational reflexive learning

“…These processes are emotional and challenge the sense of self, including values (Hay, 2014), and the support of a group with sufficient similarity can be critical in building the psychological resources to persevere with the process and to explore difference. Such forms of interactive learning (Illeris, 2014) can be part of more formal learning in management programmes (Corlett et al, 2021) and give some structure to small group learning (Callagher et al, 2021) and interpersonal support for learning (Elraz and Knights, 2021;Weatherall and Ahuja, 2021).…”

“…Secondly, a difference that becomes newly experienced with personal impact and emotion within a specific work context, for example, a clash of ethical positions or a fundamental disagreement about purpose, and this is explored with empirical examples later in this introductory paper. Thirdly, a difference that is experienced as part of broader life, which is reacted to in the workplace, for example, difference experienced through ethnicity, gender, sexuality or because of long-term health challenges, topics that are discussed by Weatherall and Ahuja (2021) and Elraz and Knights (2021). Whether because of the work-identity changing in a significant way, a difference revealed because of an experience at work or part of one's life identity becoming highlighted in the workplace, there is, as Weatherall and Ahuja put it, an experience of being out-of-step or wrong-footed.…”

“…the papers explore the difficulties of learning and identity work in such situations. For example, some approaches include disguising or 'normalizing' mental health conditions which are stigmatized (Elraz and Knights, 2021), faking managerial confidence (Corlett et al, 2021) or complying with performance expectations (Callagher et al, 2021). It is noticeable that in general learning and identity work are undertaken by the individual and it might be argued that their organizations and others in the context could also be more adaptive to difference.…”

“…The final paper by Elraz and Knights (2021) uses vignettes to illustrate how individuals experiencing mental health conditions (MHCs) seek to suppress exhibiting their conditions while 'normalizing' their identities at work. Participants' strategies include, managing their condition by fitting in at work, concealing their symptoms and maintaining stability.…”