Memories act as aids to assemble the chronology of the past, and to reveal the influences of the past on the present. While cognitive recall is a form of memory, memory also exists in other domains including the body, the social and cultural spheres. This article addresses the importance of slow memory research with mental health service users. The silencing of people with mental illness, including in research spheres, compromises the recording of their narrated experiences, diluting their presence within the historical analysis of mental illness in society. Slow memory research supports engagement with silenced groups, thus elevating the importance of narrated memories of people with mental illness, including how they experience the silencing of their voices. Drawing on data from research that gathered narrated memories from mental health service users, this article reveals valuable insights regarding this group’s lived experiences, particularly regarding their contact with mental health services.
Kirwan et al. (Wed,) studied this question.