A longitudinal study of mental health consumer/survivor initiatives: Part 3—A qualitative study of impacts of participation on new members

✍ Scribed by Joanna Ochocka; Geoffrey Nelson; Rich Janzen; John Trainor

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 105 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0090-4392
• DOI: 10.1002/jcop.20099

✦ Synopsis

This article examines the outcomes of participation in mental health

Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs) and identifies helpful qualities of CSIs through a longitudinal, qualitative study that involved in-depth interviews of people who experienced severe mental health challenges in Ontario, Canada. We used a nonequivalent control group design in which we compared active participants in CSIs (n = 15) with nonactive participants (n = 12) at baseline and at 9-and 18-month follow-up intervals. Compared with non-CSI participants, CSI participants reported more stable mental health, enhanced social support, sustained work, stable income, and participation in education and training at 9-and 18-month interviews. The helpful qualities of CSIs that participants reported were (1) safe environments that provide a positive, welcoming place to go; (2) social arenas that provide opportunities to meet and talk with peers; (3) an alternative worldview that provides opportunities for members to participate and contribute; and (4) effective facilitators of community integration that provide opportunities to