Making Sense of Depression: Perceptions of Melancholia in Lay Narratives

Abstract

In the field of lay health knowledge research, little attention has been paid to mental health problems. Drawing on in-depth interviews with depressed people, this article analyses lay theories of depression, focusing on narrative accounts of depression. These narratives were guided and shaped by a core explanation of the individual etiology of depression. Three narrative types were distinguishable: one storyline was based on shortcomings of childhood and adolescence development. A second storyline focused on excessive demands and role-conflicts, presented as causes of work-related burn-out, which developed into or already contained traits of depression. A third storyline was formed along symptom-provoking factors, outlining a story of hardships and severe life events during adulthood, which were reacted to with depression. Apart from the core explanation, the accounts reflected upon other explanations of depression. In revealing individual and social circumstances that create discomfort, depression accounts act as powerful describers of society.