Mental Health Service Users in Research: Critical Sociological Perspectives

This collection of essays discusses the value of mental health service users contributing their personal experiences to research in the field and the difficulties they face in doing so. Exploring the importance of autobiography, the contributors examine how our identity shapes the knowledge we produce and ask why voices that challenge beliefs about health and treatment are often silenced. They also consider the imbalance of power and opportunity for service users, as well as the stigmatizing nature of these services, as human rights issues. Ultimately, the essays here stress the importance of research approaches that involve mutual understanding among researchers, clinicians, and service users.