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Paper short abstract

Stories of people with lived experience of severe mental illness and their support persons show an asymmetry between perceived illness onset triggers (mostly social) and resilience strategies described as enacted at individual level, illustrating a disproportion of resilience responsibilisation.

Paper long abstract

Background. Research shows that a heightened risk of developing mental illness is influenced by genetic factors, family dynamics, trauma, and stigmatization. Social factors play a noticeable trigger role in shaping the course of mental illness and recovery. To address these challenges, studies suggest strengthening individual and family resilience. However, reductionism of such approaches raises a discussion of responsibility burden share distribution.

The aim of the presentation: exploring how the perceived triggers of illness onset correspond to resilience strategies described by individuals with lived experience of mental illness and their support persons.

Methods. Thirty semi-structured interviews with individuals with lived experience of severe mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression) and their support persons from 9 European countries conducted during 2024.

Results. When describing triggers for onset of mental illness, research participants mention biographical events of relational context (“broken heart”, divorce, stress at school or workplace, death of a relative), some of them mixed with physiological factors (pregnancy and giving birth, insomnia). Wider social and structural factors are also mentioned (violence within the family, community, or society more broadly; stigmatization and discrimination; poverty; socio-political contexts such as war, repression, the collapse of political systems). Resilience strategies described by research participants include nutrition, physical activity, spiritual strength, skills, hobby and free time, family and community support.

Although onset of severe mental illness is often explained by social triggers being tied to broader societal and structural processes, resilience strategies tend to be focused more on the individual level, marking disproportion in addressing resilience responsibilisation.