Meanings of madness: a literature review

This literature review focuses on how people make sense of mental illness. The study explores the process of meaning making by people experiencing mental 'dis-order' as it is influenced by the context of their environments, available cultural explanations and the nature of their mental states at that time. It is proposed that people experiencing psychological trauma attempt to regain a sense of order by imposing a narrative structure on these disconcerting experiences. The sharing of these personal stories with others results in meanings being shaped and refined through dialogue and across time. Socially agreed meanings, however, can have a political dimension and it is argued that personal meanings embedded in narratives of mental pain are often suppressed and categorized to fit dominant cultural or biomedical explanations. Implications for mental health nursing are discussed.