ABSTRACT
This chapter interrogates some of the assumptions made about mental health and wellbeing, including the tendency within the aid sector and beyond it to focus solely on individual choice and responsibility in feeling well. The chapter explores different interpretations of wellbeing that deviate from western, individualised interventions, and suggest an emphasis on inter-connectedness – to self, community and spirit. Drawing on her own experience and the stories she heard from Kenyan aid workers, the author highlights how the emphasis on the wellbeing of expatriate staff in aid organisations impacts on the health, happiness and security of their national counterparts. This too demonstrates that the sector must broaden its perspective on what it means to be well as an aid worker, and the need to consider the different lived experiences of staff; and how these may be negatively affected by a straitjacketed, one-size-fits-all approach to mental health. The chapter sets the stage for exploring more inclusive approaches to wellbeing, which is the focus of Part II of the book.
