Identity, community, and comfort: how adults with mental health issues envision ideal social spaces
It is common for adults to experience mental health issues that can shape their self-understanding and social life. Although medical treatment can have an important role in mental health care, most of the work of our lives is carried out within non-medical social structures that support o...
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Academia.edu Journals
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Academia Mental Health & Well-Being |
| Online Access: | https://www.academia.edu/130158720/Identity_community_and_comfort_how_adults_with_mental_health_issues_envision_ideal_social_spaces |
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| author | Cole Gershkovich Karla Klein Murdock |
| author_facet | Cole Gershkovich Karla Klein Murdock |
| author_sort | Cole Gershkovich |
| collection | DOAJ |
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It is common for adults to experience mental health issues that can shape their self-understanding and social life. Although medical treatment can have an important role in mental health care, most of the work of our lives is carried out within non-medical social structures that support our well-being. This qualitative study addressed how individuals with mental health issues conceptualize their identities and envision ideal non-medicalized, wellness-promoting communities. Reflexive thematic analysis of survey responses (N = 36) identified three identity orientations: “injured selfhood” (those whose sense of self had been damaged and who felt helpless to positively affect their mental health); “mindset of management” (those who viewed their own mental health issues as manageable difficulties); and “double-edged sword” (those who perceived both negative and positive consequences of their mental health experiences). Across orientations, comfort was considered to be a core community need, defined by interpersonal factors like acceptance and freedom from judgement, and spatial factors like relaxing environments. These findings underscore the value of diverse, inclusive designs informed by lived experiences to create supportive mental health spaces. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3e7185cbab2f4ee2a5c1f26842226ac1 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2997-9196 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Academia.edu Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Academia Mental Health & Well-Being |
| spelling | doaj-art-3e7185cbab2f4ee2a5c1f26842226ac12025-08-20T02:39:22ZengAcademia.edu JournalsAcademia Mental Health & Well-Being2997-91962025-06-012210.20935/MHealthWellB7781Identity, community, and comfort: how adults with mental health issues envision ideal social spacesCole Gershkovich0Karla Klein Murdock1Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, The College, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 24450, USA.Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, The College, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 24450, USA. It is common for adults to experience mental health issues that can shape their self-understanding and social life. Although medical treatment can have an important role in mental health care, most of the work of our lives is carried out within non-medical social structures that support our well-being. This qualitative study addressed how individuals with mental health issues conceptualize their identities and envision ideal non-medicalized, wellness-promoting communities. Reflexive thematic analysis of survey responses (N = 36) identified three identity orientations: “injured selfhood” (those whose sense of self had been damaged and who felt helpless to positively affect their mental health); “mindset of management” (those who viewed their own mental health issues as manageable difficulties); and “double-edged sword” (those who perceived both negative and positive consequences of their mental health experiences). Across orientations, comfort was considered to be a core community need, defined by interpersonal factors like acceptance and freedom from judgement, and spatial factors like relaxing environments. These findings underscore the value of diverse, inclusive designs informed by lived experiences to create supportive mental health spaces.https://www.academia.edu/130158720/Identity_community_and_comfort_how_adults_with_mental_health_issues_envision_ideal_social_spaces |
| spellingShingle | Cole Gershkovich Karla Klein Murdock Identity, community, and comfort: how adults with mental health issues envision ideal social spaces Academia Mental Health & Well-Being |
| title | Identity, community, and comfort: how adults with mental health issues envision ideal social spaces |
| title_full | Identity, community, and comfort: how adults with mental health issues envision ideal social spaces |
| title_fullStr | Identity, community, and comfort: how adults with mental health issues envision ideal social spaces |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identity, community, and comfort: how adults with mental health issues envision ideal social spaces |
| title_short | Identity, community, and comfort: how adults with mental health issues envision ideal social spaces |
| title_sort | identity community and comfort how adults with mental health issues envision ideal social spaces |
| url | https://www.academia.edu/130158720/Identity_community_and_comfort_how_adults_with_mental_health_issues_envision_ideal_social_spaces |
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