Ordinary people, extraordinary voices: The emotional labour of lay people caring for and about people with a mental health problem.

Many attempts to reduce the stigmatization of people with mental illness have often been predicated, based on the desire to persuade the public that people with mental illness are ‘ill’ in the same way as people with medical conditions. This paper presents one aspect from the findings of a study that examined the ways in which lay people perceived mental health and illness. Data are drawn from the discussion of the roles and experiences of different non-mental health professionals who cared for and about people they met in their everyday employment. In this paper, we argue that central to these roles is the importance of listening to people in an arena which is non-statutory and without judgment. We demonstrate that people use popular sectors when they are unsure of the problem they have, or they are reluctant to refer themselves to the professional sector. The paper presents narrative extracts illustrating the emotional labour operating in each participant's role and the extent to which they provide support for their client's emotional and psychological well-being. The implications for mental health nursing are discussed in relation to working with and alongside people experiencing mental distress, in relation to ‘ordinary human qualities’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]