Table 1.

Table 1 Recommendations for the international mental health community on best practices in working with service users and carers

Based on the understanding that recovery from mental illness includes attention to social and economic inclusion as well as adequate access to a balanced system of hospital and community mental health care, the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) recommends to the international mental health community the following approach for collaborative work between mental health practitioners**, service users** and family/carers**

WPA recommends that:

1. Respecting human rights is the basis of successful partnerships for mental health.

2. Legislation, policy and clinical practice relevant to the lives and care of people with mental disorders need to be developed in collaboration between mental health practitioners, service users, and carers.

3. The international mental health community should promote and support the development of service users’ organizations and carers’ organizations.

4. Improving mental health is essential for economic and social development. This requires participation of all sectors of the community.

5. International and local professional organizations, including WPA through its programs and member societies, are expected to seek meaningful involvement of service users and carers in their own activities where appropriate.

6. The best mental health care of any person in acute or rehabilitation situations is done in collaboration between mental health practitioners, service users, and carers. Working in this way generally benefits from special skills and training.

7. Education, research and quality improvement in mental health care requires collaboration between mental health practitioners, service users and carers.

8. The recovery process in mental health includes economic and social inclusion, as well as medical care. Examples of economic and social inclusion are access to: education and training, housing, employment, advocacy and family support.

9. WPA member societies and other professional groups should collaborate with service users’ organizations, carers’ organizations and other community organizations to lobby governments for political will and action for better mental health services, community education and fighting stigma and discrimination.

10. Enhancing user and carer empowerment should be sought through a range of different approaches and ideas, for example: the development of self-help groups; participation in service planning and management boards; employment of people with mental health disabilities as service providers and inclusive local anti-stigma-anti discrimination programs.