Partnerships for better mental health worldwide: WPA recommendations on best practices in working with service users and family carers

Jan Wallcraft*, Michaela Amering, Julian Freidin, Bhargavi Davar, Diane Froggatt, Hussain Jafri, Afzal Javed, Sylvester Katontoka, Shoba Raja, Solomon Rataemane, Sigrid Steffen, Sam Tyano, Christopher Underhill, Henrik Wahlberg, Richard Warner, Helen Herrman

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

119 Scopus citations

Abstract

WPA President M. Maj established the Task Force on Best Practice in Working with Service Users and Carers in 2008, chaired by H. Herrman. The Task Force had the remit to create recommendations for the international mental health community on how to develop successful partnership working. The work began with a review of literature on service user and carer involvement and partnership. This set out a range of considerations for good practice, including choice of appropriate terminology, clarifying the partnership process and identifying and reducing barriers to partnership working. Based on the literature review and on the shared knowledge in the Task Force, a set of ten recommendations for good practice was developed. These recommendations were the basis for a worldwide consultation of stakeholders with expertise as service users, families and carers, and the WPA Board and Council The results showed a strong consensus across the international mental health community on the ten recommendations, with the strongest agreement coming from service users and carers. This general consensus gives a basis for Task Force plans to seek support for activities to promote shared work worldwide to identify best practice examples and create a resource to assist others to begin successful collaboration.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)229-236
Number of pages8
JournalWorld Psychiatry
Volume10
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2011

Keywords

  • Best practices
  • Family carers
  • Mental health
  • Partnerships
  • Service users

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