Mutuality as background music in women's lived experience of mental health and depression

Abstract

Mental health problems, especially depression, have turned into an extensive public health problem, affecting women in particular. The aim of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of mental health phenomena through elderly women's lived experiences of mental health and depression. The phenomenological approach was chosen for collecting experience-based and person-centred descriptions from 21 women, focusing on mental health and depression. The interviews were analysed using Giorgi's phenomenological descriptive method. Mutuality in their relationships with themselves and others emerged as a major element in the women's experience of mental health and depression. When the women's existence and value were confirmed in relation to themselves and others, mental health appeared as an ascending spiral. When the women's value and self-esteem in relation to themselves and others were violated, the result was a descending spiral. Metaphorically speaking, 'mutuality' provided the 'background music' to the women's lives. Being a skilled professional psychiatric nurse means making the best use of mutuality as a creative power in the nurse-patient relationship. This means that the nurse must be aware that her/his attitude, appearance and behaviour are interpreted as a confirmation of the patient's worthiness or worthlessness.

Surviving depressive ill‐health: A qualitative systematic review of older persons' narratives

“…Eight studies were conducted in the USA (Ugarriza, 2002;Pierce et al, 2003;Barg et al, 2006;Soonthrochaiya & Dancy 2006;Black et al, 2007;Switzer et al, 2009;Wittink et al, 2009;Conner et al, 2010), one in the UK (Lawrence et al, 2006), three in Sweden (Hedelin & Strandmark, 2001a;Hedelin & Strandmark, 2001b;Hedelin & Jonsson, 2003) and one in New Zealand (Allan & Dixon, 2009). …”

“…Three studies employed a phenomenological approach (Hedeling & Strandmark, 2001a;Hedelin & Strandmark, 2001b;Hedelin & Jonsson, 2003), while another used cultural consensus analysis . Two studies employed content analysis (Ugarriza, 2002;Conner et al, 2010), two studies qualitative content analysis (Soonthorchaiya & Cancy, 2006;Black et al 2007), while a further two applied grounded theory (Lawrence et al, 2006;Wittink et al, 2009).…”

Older Persons’ Lived Experiences of Depression and Self-Management

“…power, knowledge, beliefs and values, experience, attitudes) and not easy to achieve. However, mutuality was experienced as a form of background music related to mental health and depression (Hedelin & Jonsson, 2003).…”

A Feminist Phenomenological Description of Depression in Low-income South African Women

“…Themes of negative memories, failures and catastrophic views of the present and future were prevalent. Hedelin and Jonsson (2003) similarly used a phenomenological approach to collect experience-based and person-centered descriptions of depression from 21 elderly women. They found that the women's experiences of mental health or depression were heavily influenced by their sense of value and self-esteem in relation to themselves and others.…”