Encouraging user involvement in mental health services

Encouraging user involvement in mental health services

This article summarises the current research evidence base on user involvement in mental health services from both policy and practical perspectives. We begin by examining the many meanings of the term ‘mental health service user’ and the policy imperatives for user involvement, to provide a context for later examples of good practice. We then discuss what is meant by ‘involvement’ and the reas...

Family structure and personality traits in suicidal attempters: comparison between user and non- user of mental health services

Different factors such as family and personality are related to suicidal attempt which play as protective role and risk factors. The present study aimed to investigate the differences between personality traits and family functions of suicide attempters who used and didn’t use mental health services. In this cross sectional case (non-user)-control (user) study, 100 suicide attempters (36 ...

User and carer involvement in mental health services: from rhetoric to science.

User and carer involvement in mental health training

National policy in the UK emphasises the importance of involving service users and caregivers in all types of mental health provision. The training of mental health care and social service professionals has always relied on seeing patients, but the patients’ role has usually been a passive one. This is now changing, and service users and carers are becoming active educators in professional trai...

User/consumer involvement in mental health service delivery.

The involvement of mental health service users in service delivery is a new and growing phenomenon. Such involvement is complex, given the history of paternalism in the mental health system, the power differential between service providers and service users, and the very differing views each group holds on multiple issues. Unless such differences are addressed, there can be no meaningful involv...