Understanding discourses of the worried well.

Abstract

This paper undertakes a deconstruction of the discourses of the 'worried well' population, a population argued to be particularly affected by the biomedical discourse. This deconstruction highlights the 'naturalized, glossed-over, unarticulated presuppositions' supported by hegemonic discourses of medicine. The historical development of the biomedical framework, the assumptions underpinning scientific discourse, and in particular its treatment of women, are examined. Issues pertaining to the diagnosis and treatment of this population are also discussed. The paper concludes with the recognition that the impetus rests with nurses to be agents of change in the reconstruction of discourses surrounding the worried well, to view clients labelled within biomedical discourse as worried well in a new light. Clients' subjective experiences of health must be valued, recognized and contextualized, thereby converting the rhetoric of holistic care into reality.