Effects of participation in consumer-operated service programs on both personal and organizationally mediated empowerment: results of multisite study.

The number of empowerment-oriented consumer-operated service programs (COSPs) in mental health has increased dramatically over the past decade; however, little empirical evidence exists about the effects of such programs on their intended outcomes. This study examined the effects of COSPs on various aspects of empowerment within the context of a multisite, federally funded, randomized clinical trial of COSPs. Results suggest that the individuals who received the consumer-operated services perceived higher levels of personal empowerment than those in the control intervention; overall, effect sizes were very modest when all sites were examined together in intent-to-treat analyses. However, we noted variations in outcomes by intensity of COSP use and also by study site, which suggest that specific programs had significant effects, while others did not. The implications of these results for the mental health field and for service providers and policy makers are discussed.