Bold but balanced: how community development contributes to mental health and inclusion

Authors:
SEEBOHM Patience, GILCHRIST Alison, MORRIS David
Journal article citation:
Community Development Journal, 47(4), October 2012, pp.473-490.
Publisher:
Oxford University Press

Drawing on their own exploratory study of the role community development can play in the UK mental health context (Connect and Include, 2008), the authors of this article discuss how community development can contribute to mental well-being. The article focuses on how community development practitioners connect and include people experiencing mental health difficulties with community activities and mainstream services and increase opportunity and choice. It covers mental health and community context, recovery, inclusion, community-led initiatives, building trust, enabling and challenging, facilitating and light-touch support, and bridging barriers. It includes discussion of the findings from the Connect and Include study, which involved a survey and interviews with community development practitioners and participants in 8 sites across the UK. It identifies challenges for community development practitioners working with mental health service providers and users, and discusses the strengths and potential contribution of the community development approach in improving mental well-being.

Subject terms:
mental health, mental health problems, mental health services, recovery approach, service users, social inclusion, user participation, community development;
Content type:
research
Location(s):
United Kingdom
Link:
Journal home page
ISSN online:
1468-2656
ISSN print:
0010-3802

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