'Having your say': Self-advocacy and individuals experiencing mental ill-health

Abstract

Self-advocacy involves individuals speaking out for themselves rather than others speaking for them. Using an action research methodology, the study aimed to explore the views of individuals experiencing mental ill-health regarding self-advocacy. Focus groups were set up as an exploratory method to obtain information for the design of an interview schedule. Interviews were conducted with 35 service-users to determine what encouraged and prevented them from speaking out. Focus groups were also used to obtain the views of mental health workers regarding service-user self-advocacy. Findings from the project emphasised the importance of one-to-one relationships between service-users and staff and underlined the importance of providing service- users with information. The project highlighted training needs both for service-users and mental health workers.