Abstract
Self-neglect is a complex, relatively common and as yet not fully understood phenomenon. People who self-neglect often do not undertake those activities which are judged necessary to maintain a socially accepted standard of personal and household hygiene or to maintain their health status. This may be explained by a variety of factors of which psychopathology, culture, social class and poverty all play a role in the construction of this phenomenon. The self-neglect literature overwhelmingly presents professional views and focuses on the most severe cases. This paper explores some core issues in relation to self-neglect theory through in-depth interviews with atypical (related) cases. These cases allow the boundaries of what is and is not self-neglect to be tested. Analysis of these cases suggests that self-neglect remains a useful concept but contains a far wide range of presentations than previously reported.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 447-454 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2009 |
Keywords
- Poverty
- Self-neglect
- Social exclusion
- Squalor
