Exploring 'person-centredness': user perspectives on a model of social psychiatry

This paper explores service users' experiences of a 'person-centred' mental health service. We describe the development of a model of social psychiatr y that places the emphasis on the experiences of the person within social a nd political contexts. This establishes the foundations of a 'person-centre d' approach, the values of which are described briefly. The results of inte rviews with 20 people are presented, in which their experiences of the serv ice are explored in detail. These interviews reveal the struggle that lies at the heart of the professional-service user dialectic, which relates to i ssues of institutional power, roles and responsibility, and which places pr ofessional staff in conflict with the very notion of 'person-centredness'. No matter how 'person-centred' a mental health service may strive to be, th ere remain serious obstacles to the full realization of this approach. Desp ite this critique, there were many things that were valued by those who use d the service. More detailed qualitative studies are required to explicate the complex relationships and paradoxes that emerged.