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Invisible minds: The dominant wellbeing discourse, mental health, bio-power and chameleon resistance

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>31/05/2023
<mark>Journal</mark>Organization
Issue number3
Volume30
Number of pages20
Pages (from-to)490-509
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date5/04/23
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

The dominant wellbeing discourse (DWD) in neoliberal economies can be understood as a form of bio-power that presupposes healthy individuals. It seeks to produce subjects who take responsibility for their wellbeing and, in this way, render themselves productive. Drawing on interviews with individuals who volunteered a diagnosed mental health condition (MHC), we explore how they resisted the negative associations with MHCs through making their conditions invisible. Hence they sought to blend in and make themselves visible as ‘normal’, well, healthy, responsible, productive subjects. Although we call this chameleon resistance it is bound up with consent and compliance as it reproduces the DWD and negative associations with MHCs.