Learning via participation – a user perspective on user involvement in mental health rehabilitation

Units of meaning: ‘What is said’Units of significance: ‘What is being talked about’Themes‘I have learned user involvement from being in other psychiatric places and through voluntary work’
‘… the professionals say it is now it is happening’
‘…we do user involvement together, with each other and for each other’Learning from experience



The professionals say when and where user involvement takes place


Residents helps each otherLearning via:  – experience  – support from professionals  – support from residents‘… you need to know what it is’
‘… it is good to know about the methods the staff use’  … I know very well how I should talk so they listen and so I might get some of what I want’
‘… you need to be able to argue’How to learn user involvement:
 – know what user
 – involvement is
 – know about methods
 – know how to talk
 – know what works know how to argueLearning via:
 – knowledge
 – communication‘It has a lot to do with self-development I think, that there is someone who listens to you’
‘… now I have learned that they listen to what you have to say’User involvement is self-development

Learn that people listen to youLearning means:
 – self-development
 – being listened to‘… we talk about what I need to train’’… it takes time before you get influence’
‘… before, I was very focused on doing the right thing in the eyes of other people instead of doing what I feel like’
‘… they ask about our opinion’Talking with professionals about what to train

Finding ways to get influence Finding out what they want to do and feel like. The professionals ask about your opinionLearning to:
 – talk about what to train
 – gain influence
 – be aware of own desires
 – say your opinion