Somatic concerns of mental health service users: a specific tale of affect

Article


Tucker, I. 2011. Somatic concerns of mental health service users: a specific tale of affect. Distinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory. 12 (1), pp. 23-35.
AuthorsTucker, I.
Abstract

Theories of affect have been offered in abundance in recent times as potential remedies for the many theoretical ailments that face the social sciences. Post cognitive theories continue to grapple with new ways of thinking the unrepentantly tricky relation between the psychological and socio-material. This paper will explore some of these avenues, before arguing that theories of affect are required that can speak to specificity in terms of the challenges of embodied states. Drawing on accounts of changing medicated body states of mental health service users the paper will develop a specific empirically rooted notion of affect that sympathises with the pre-personal, relational models of ‘excess’ prominent in affect theory, but that attempts to realise a theory of affect that can speak to the concrete reality of embodied experience. Following a theoretical path that includes Deleuze and Guattari, Brian Massumi, and Michel Serres, I will work towards an empirical engagement with affect that attempts to speak to specificity, rather than generality, as attempts at the latter can often result in over-tasked theories faltering in their explanatory pursuits.

Keywordsaffect; embodiment; Deleuze; medication
JournalDistinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory
Journal citation12 (1), pp. 23-35
Year2011
Accepted author manuscript
License
CC BY-ND
Web address (URL)http://hdl.handle.net/10552/1489
Publication dates
Print24 Mar 2011
Publication process dates
Deposited27 Mar 2012
Additional information

Citation:
Tucker, I. (2012) ‘Somatic concerns of mental health service users: a specific tale of affect’. Distinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory, 12(1), 23-35. DOI: 10.1080/1600910X.2011.549335.

Permalink -

https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/860zw

Download files


Accepted author manuscript
  • 196
    total views
  • 267
    total downloads
  • 7
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Temporalities of peer support: the role of digital platforms in the ‘living presents’ of mental ill-health
Tucker, I. 2024. Temporalities of peer support: the role of digital platforms in the ‘living presents’ of mental ill-health. Health Sociology Review. 33 (1), pp. 59-72. https://doi.org/10.1080/14461242.2024.2322531
Digitally mediated psychotherapy: Intimacy, distance, and connection in virtual therapeutic spaces
Tucker, I. 2024. Digitally mediated psychotherapy: Intimacy, distance, and connection in virtual therapeutic spaces. European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling. In Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642537.2024.2313193
The emotional in-formation of digital life: Simondon, individuation and affectivity
Tucker, I. 2023. The emotional in-formation of digital life: Simondon, individuation and affectivity. Distinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory. In Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/1600910X.2023.2224523
Digital community assets: Investigating the impact of online engagement with arts and peer support groups on mental health during COVID-19
Tucker, I., Easton, K. and Prestwood, R 2023. Digital community assets: Investigating the impact of online engagement with arts and peer support groups on mental health during COVID-19. Sociology of Health & Illness. 45 (3), pp. 666-683. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13620
Muting, filtering and transforming space: Autistic children's sensory ‘tactics’ for navigating mainstream school space following transition to secondary school
Birkett, L., McGrath, L. and Tucker, I. 2022. Muting, filtering and transforming space: Autistic children's sensory ‘tactics’ for navigating mainstream school space following transition to secondary school. Emotion, Space and Society. 42 (Art. 100872). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2022.100872
Simondon, emotion, and individuation: The tensions of psychological life in digital worlds
Tucker, I. 2021. Simondon, emotion, and individuation: The tensions of psychological life in digital worlds . Theory & Psychology. 32 (1), pp. 3-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593543211055199
Covert Aspects of Surveillance and the Ethical Issues They Raise
Harper, D., Ellis, D. and Tucker, I. 2021. Covert Aspects of Surveillance and the Ethical Issues They Raise. in: Iphofen, R. and O’Mathúna, D. (ed.) Ethical Issues in Covert Research, Security and Surveillance Emerald Publishing Limited. pp. 177-197
(Re)thinking body-technology relations with Michel Serres: Emotion, sense and the emergence of algorithmic appropriation
Tucker, I. 2021. (Re)thinking body-technology relations with Michel Serres: Emotion, sense and the emergence of algorithmic appropriation. Media Theory. 5 (1), pp. 219-230.
Peripheral recovery: Keeping safe and keep progressing as contradictory modes of ordering on a forensic psychiatric unit
McGrath, L., Brown, S., Kanyeredzi, A., Reavey, P. and Tucker, I. 2021. Peripheral recovery: Keeping safe and keep progressing as contradictory modes of ordering on a forensic psychiatric unit. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space. 39 (4), pp. 704-721. https://doi.org/10.1177/02637758211013032
Emotion in the Digital Age: Technologies, Data and Psychosocial Life
Ellis, D. and Tucker, I. 2020. Emotion in the Digital Age: Technologies, Data and Psychosocial Life. London Routledge.
Digitally Mediated Emotion: Simondon, Affectivity and Individuation
Tucker, I. 2018. Digitally Mediated Emotion: Simondon, Affectivity and Individuation. in: Sampson, Tony David, Maddison, Stephen and Ellis, Darren (ed.) Affect and Social Media: Emotion, Mediation, Anxiety and Contagion Rowman & Littlefield.
Shifting landscapes of care and distress: A topological understanding of rurality
Tucker, I. 2017. Shifting landscapes of care and distress: A topological understanding of rurality. in: Soldatic, Karen and Johnson, Kelley (ed.) Disability and Rurality: Identity, Gender and Belonging Routledge. pp. 184-198
Social media and mental health: A topological approach
Goodings, L. and Tucker, I. 2018. Social media and mental health: A topological approach. in: McGrath, Laura and Reavey, Paula (ed.) The Handbook of Mental Health and Space: Community and Clinical Applications Routledge.
Social Psychology of Emotion
Ellis, D. and Tucker, I. 2014. Social Psychology of Emotion. SAGE Publications.
Organizing the sensory: Ear-work, panauralism and sonic agency on a forensic psychiatric unit
Brown, S., Kanyeredzi, A., Mcgrath, L., Reavey, P. and Tucker, I. 2019. Organizing the sensory: Ear-work, panauralism and sonic agency on a forensic psychiatric unit. Human Relations. 73 (11), pp. 1537-1562. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726719874850
Affect Theory and the Concept of Atmosphere
Tucker, I., Brown, S., Kanyeredzi, A., Mcgrath, L. and Reavey, P. 2019. Affect Theory and the Concept of Atmosphere. Distinktion: Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory. 20 (1), pp. 5-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/1600910X.2019.1586740
Temporalities of Mental Distress: Digital Immediacy and the Meaning of 'Crisis' in Online Support
Tucker, I. M. and Lavis, A 2019. Temporalities of Mental Distress: Digital Immediacy and the Meaning of 'Crisis' in Online Support. Sociology of Health & Illness. 41 (S1), pp. 132-146. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12943
The atmosphere of the ward: Attunements and attachments of everyday life for patients on a medium-secure forensic psychiatric unit
Kanyeredzi, A., Brown, Steven D., McGrath, L. and Tucker, I. 2019. The atmosphere of the ward: Attunements and attachments of everyday life for patients on a medium-secure forensic psychiatric unit. The Sociological Review. 67 (2), pp. 444-466. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026119829751
Living ‘in between’ outside and inside: The forensic psychiatric unit as an impermanent assemblage
Tucker, I., Brown, Steven D., Kanyeredzi, A., McGrath, L. and Reavey, Paula 2018. Living ‘in between’ outside and inside: The forensic psychiatric unit as an impermanent assemblage. Health & Place. 55, pp. 29-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.10.009
Agents and spectres: Life-space on a medium secure forensic psychiatric unit
Reavey, P., Brown, S.D., Kanyeredzi, A., McGrath, L. and Tucker, I. 2018. Agents and spectres: Life-space on a medium secure forensic psychiatric unit. Social Science & Medicine. 220, pp. 273-282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.11.012
How do mental health services respond when child abuse or neglect become known? A literature review
Read, J., Harper, D., Tucker, I. and Kennedy, Angela 2018. How do mental health services respond when child abuse or neglect become known? A literature review. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 27 (6), pp. 1606-1617. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12498
Deleuze, Simondon and the problem of psychological life
Tucker, I. 2018. Deleuze, Simondon and the problem of psychological life. Annual Review of Critical Psychology. 14, pp. 127-144.
Sensing Bodies and Digitally Mediated Distress
Tucker, I. and Goodings, L. 2015. Sensing Bodies and Digitally Mediated Distress. The Senses and Society. 9 (1), pp. 55-71. https://doi.org/10.2752/174589314X13834112761047
Surveillance and subjectivity: Everyday experiences of surveillance practices
Harper, D., Tucker, I. and Ellis, D. 2013. Surveillance and subjectivity: Everyday experiences of surveillance practices. in: Ball, Kirstie and Snider, Laureen (ed.) The Surveillance-Industrial Complex: A Political Economy of Surveillance Routledge.
Digital atmospheres: affective practices of care in Elefriends
Tucker, I. and Goodings, L. 2017. Digital atmospheres: affective practices of care in Elefriends. Sociology of Health & Illness. 39 (4), pp. 629-642. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12545
Do adult mental health services identify child abuse and neglect? A systematic review
Read, J., Harper, D., Tucker, I. and Kennedy, Angela 2017. Do adult mental health services identify child abuse and neglect? A systematic review. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 27 (1), pp. 7-19. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12369
Medicated bodies: Mental distress, social media and affect
Tucker, I. and Goodings, L. 2016. Medicated bodies: Mental distress, social media and affect. New Media & Society. 20 (2), pp. 549-563. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816664347
Experiencing the ‘surveillance society’
Ellis, D., Harper, D. and Tucker, I. 2016. Experiencing the ‘surveillance society’. Psychologist. 29 (9), pp. 682-685.
Mediation and digital intensities: Topology, psychology and social media
Tucker, I. and Goodings, L. 2014. Mediation and digital intensities: Topology, psychology and social media. Social Science Information. 53 (3), pp. 277-292. https://doi.org/10.1177/0539018414525693
Managing stress through the Stress Free app: Practices of self-care in digitally mediated spaces
Tucker, I. and Goodings, L. 2015. Managing stress through the Stress Free app: Practices of self-care in digitally mediated spaces. Digital Health. 1 (0).
Surveillance
Harper, D., Ellis, D. and Tucker, I. 2014. Surveillance. in: Teo T. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology Springer. pp. 1887-1892
Topology and mental distress: Self-care in the life spaces of home
Tucker, I. and Smith, L-A. 2014. Topology and mental distress: Self-care in the life spaces of home. Journal of Health Psychology. 19 (1), pp. 176-183. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105313500260
Social media and the co-production of bodies online: Bergson, Serres and Facebook's Timeline
Goodings, L. and Tucker, I. 2014. Social media and the co-production of bodies online: Bergson, Serres and Facebook's Timeline. Media, Culture & Society. 36 (1), pp. 37-51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443713507813
The Dynamics of Impersonal Trust and Distrust in Surveillance Systems
Ellis, D., Harper, D. and Tucker, I. 2013. The Dynamics of Impersonal Trust and Distrust in Surveillance Systems. Sociological Research Online. 18 (3), p. 8. https://doi.org/10.5153%2Fsro.3091
The Affective Atmospheres of Surveillance
Ellis, D., Tucker, I. and Harper, D. 2013. The Affective Atmospheres of Surveillance. Theory & Psychology. 23 (6), pp. 716-731. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0959354313496604
Transformative processes of agency: information technologies and the production of digitally mediated selves
Tucker, I., Ellis, D. and Harper, D. 2012. Transformative processes of agency: information technologies and the production of digitally mediated selves. Kultūra ir visuomenė: socialinių tyrimų žurnalas [Culture and Society: Journal of Social Research]. 3 (1), pp. 9-24.
Virtuality and Ernest Bloch: hope and subjectivity
Ellis, D. and Tucker, I. 2011. Virtuality and Ernest Bloch: hope and subjectivity. Subjectivity. 4 (4), pp. 434-450.
Everyday spaces of mental distress: the spatial habituation of home
Tucker, I. 2009. Everyday spaces of mental distress: the spatial habituation of home. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space. 28 (3), pp. 526-538.
"This is for life": a discursive analysis of the dilemmas of constructing diagnostic identities
Tucker, I. 2009. "This is for life": a discursive analysis of the dilemmas of constructing diagnostic identities. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research. 10 (3).
Mental health service user territories: Enacting 'safe spaces' in the community
Tucker, I. 2010. Mental health service user territories: Enacting 'safe spaces' in the community. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine. 14 (4), pp. 434-448. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459309357485