ERIC Number: EJ1129294
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Jan
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0741-0883
EISSN: N/A
"Someone Just Like Me:" Narrative, Figured World, and Uptake in Therapeutic Books for Youths With Mental Health Disorders
Smart, Graham; Thompson, Richard
Written Communication, v34 n1 p5-29 Jan 2017
This study extends a line of inquiry established by researchers using narrative theory to investigate the discourses of psychiatry. Drawing primarily on theories of narrative and genre, the study analyzes a series of autobiographical books intended for an audience of youth suffering from mental illness. Our research investigates how the rhetorical design of the books harnesses the discursive affordances of autobiographical narrative to encourage a particular uptake on the part of a reader suffering from mental illness. Performing an analysis of four of the books in the series, we found them to exhibit a design in which autobiographical narrative is used to prompt an anticipated uptake by the reader: motivation to commit to therapy and engage in lifelong self-care. The study offers insights to authors producing texts intended to support psychiatric practitioners in guiding youth toward recovery from mental illness.
Descriptors: Books, Youth, Mental Disorders, Autobiographies, Psychiatry, Adolescent Literature, Personal Narratives, Psychotherapy, Coping, Counseling Techniques, Counseling Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A