'He's not my carer—he's my husband': Personal and policy constructions of care in mental health

The construction of 'care' in the professional and UK legislative and policy arenas has been the focus of much interest in recent years. A growing awareness of the needs of 'carers' in their own right and a recognition of the conflicting needs of 'carers' and users of services informs practice in health and social care where discourses of care focus on 'care' as duty, burden and responsibility. The complexity of the roles and tasks that make up the lived experience of someone who 'cares' for and about another is well documented, especially in the areas of older people and physical disability. This paper seeks to locate individual experiences of 'care' in mental health alongside the construction of 'care' in mental health policy and legislation within the UK. The paper draws both on preliminary research with couples, and an analysis of the development of 'care' in policy and law. This dual analysis indicates that, while practitioners in health and social care recognise the needs of people who consider themselves to be 'carers', not all people subscribe to the identity of 'carer' or 'cared for' in their relationship.