Intrusion of Profession. Participatory Research in Mental Health Day Care

Abstract

Given the transformation of the psychiatric system towards a community-based, decentralized care, it’s objective is to entangle patients in an institutional network, hereby allowing them to (re‑)built a social and everyday professional life. The claim to avoid »revolving door patients« [who/that are] stressing the institutions’ capacities – not least motivated by economic reasons – led to a diversification of supply: assisted living facilities, (ambulatory) day clinics and educational workshops became an integral part of in-patient treatments. In this article, my interest focuses on everyday life at these social-psychiatric facilities. Based on ethnographic studies, questions regarding the meaning of work and social relations within a social-psychiatric day clinic will be risen. Two aporias open up in this context and will be discussed primarily: First of all, the understanding of work within the day clinic differs from society-wide understandings attempting to split up productional and reproductional spheres. Secondly, (emotional) closeness between clients and employees caused by shared everyday experiences collides with the ideal of professionalism which happens to intrude into their social relations.