This page contains links to sites which contain information about consumers and their involvement with mental health services, and information for consumers on various mental disorders and their treatment.

Consumer sites related to specific disorders will be found in the appropriate sections listed in the left hand column.

You will find general health information for consumers on my public health page

Lists of books and journal articles relating to consumer and carer issues can be found on my bibliographies and reading lists page.

Consumer and Carer Involvement

Active Outreach: An independent service user evaluation of a model of assertive outreach practice
By R Graley-Wetherall, and S Morgan. Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, August 2005. This report examines the role of an assertive outreach team in Norwich, from the perspective of its users.

Alfred Psychiatry Consumer Participation Program: Staff-Consumer Collaboration in Treatment: Final Report
Jon Kroschel, Alfred Psychiatry Consumer Participation Group, June 2001. The report documents the development of a 'staff-consumer collaboration in treatment' workbook which is designed for collaborative use by case-managers and consumers within individual treatment settings, and aims to assist consumers to participate more fully within their own treatments.

Assessing the Promise: An Evaluation of the Work of the Consumer and Consumer Supporter National Technical Assistance Centers
The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS)in the United States funds 5 national consumer and consumer-supporter Technical Assistance Centers (TACs) to accomplish the goals of assisting consumers in becoming independent, navigating services, developing self-help skills, communicating and supporting one another, and learning about resources. This 2002 Report is an evaluation of the five (5) consumer and consumer-supporter National Technical Assistance Centers (TACs).

Carers of People with Mental Illness Project. Final Report.
Produced by the Mental Health Council of Australia in partnership with Carers Association of Australia, June 2000.

Caring Together: An Action Plan for Carer Involvement in Victorian Public Mental Health Services
Victoria, Department of Human Services, Mental Health Branch, July 2005.

Choice in Mental Health Care: Briefing Paper 31
Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, July 2006. A literature review - Choice Literature Review: A Review of the Literature and Consultation on Choice and Decision-making for Users and Carers of Mental Health and Social Care Services is also available.

Consumer and Carer Participation Policy: A Framework for the Mental Health Sector
Developed by the National Consumer and Carer Forum of Australia, January 2005.

Consumer Self-Rated Outcome Measures in Mental Health
A Report to the Mental Health Branch, Department of Human Services (Victoria), by Siggins Miller Consultants, October 2003.

Consumer/Survivor-Operated Self-Help Programs: A Technical Report, National Mental Health Information Center
Consumer/Survivor-Operated Self-help Programs, A Retrospective Review of the Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Movement and 13 Federally Funded Consumer/Survivor-Operated Service Programs in the 1980s. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services. February 2001. This is the first comprehensive documentation of the experiences of consumers/survivors in designing and operating their own self-help programs.

Curriculum Development Education Packages (CDEP)
The Curriculum Development Education Packages (CDEP) were developed as part of the Community Development Project (CDP), an initiative of the National Mental Health Strategy. The CDEP modules are based on the findings of an 18 month national consultation process undertaken by the Mental Health Council of Australia, and have been specifically designed and developed to provide educational guidelines to enable increased consumer and carer participation in the Australian mental health sector.

Developing Services for Carers and Families of People with Mental Illness
Department of Health (U.K.) November 2002. The aim of this document is to help local mental health services develop support services for carers of people with mental health problems.

The Effectiveness of Service User-Run or Service User-Led Mental Health Services for People with Mental Illness: A Systematic Literature Review
By Carolyn Doughty and Samson Tse. Wellington, New Zealand, Mental Health Commission, 2005.

Employer Tool-Kit: Employing Peer Workers in Your Organisation
BCS Peer Support Project. Baptist Community Services (SA) Inc, June 2007.

Identifying the carer project: Final report and recommendations for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing
The "Identifying the carer project" examined issues associated with identification of carers in the context of mental health service delivery. This included current practice, policy and legislation, and preferred processes. Project Manager Janne McMahon, Project Officer Judy Hardy, Project Assistant Ruth Carson. Private Mental Health Consumer Carer Network (Australia), 2007.

In Our Experience: User-Focused Monitoring of Mental Health Services
Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, March 1998. Reviewing a groundbreaking partnership between Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster Health Authority (KCW) and The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, this pilot study demonstrated that people with severe and enduring mental illness can have a voice in decisions about the mental health services that they receive.

Mental Health of Carers
The report of a survey carried out by the Social Survey Division of the Office for National Statistics on behalf of the Department of Health, by Nicola Singleton and others. London, HMSO, 2002.

Mental Health Service User Movement in England
Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health Policy Paper 2, May 2003.

On Our Own Terms: Users and Survivors of Mental health Services Working Together for Support and Change
By Jan Wallcraft, Jim Read, and Angela Sweeney. Published on behalf of the User Survey Steering Group. London, Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 2003.

Our Voice in Our Future: Benefits
By Michael Turner. London, Shaping Our Lives/National Institute for Social Work, 2000. This booklet is part of the Our Voice In Our Future project which aims to give people who use services and receive benefits provided through the welfare state a say in their future.

Our Voice in Our Future: Mental Health Issues
By Peter Beresford. London, Shaping Our Lives/National Institute for Social Work, 2000.

Our Voice in Our Future: Service Users Debate the Future of the Welfare State
By Michael Turner, Phil Brough, and R. B. Williams-Findlay. Published in June 2003, this study reports on a project which aimed to encourage and support debate among service users and/or benefit recipients about the future of the welfare state. Called 'Our Voice in Our Future', the project was set up by Shaping Our Lives, an organisation set up and run by service users to influence and improve service provision.

Our Voice in Our Future: Services and Support
By Michael Turner. London, Shaping Our Lives/National Institute for Social Work, 2000.Pathways to Policy
A toolkit for grassroots involvement in mental health policy. Edited by Jonathan Bureau and Jane Shears. This toolkit, produced by the Mental Health Foundation in the U.K., enables NGOs and user groups to promote the voice of service users in the development of mental health policy. It provides a step-by-step guide to user groups to working in partnership with other stakeholders to prioritise local mental health issues, develop action plans and raise awareness.

Pathways to Policy
A toolkit for grassroots involvement in mental health policy. Edited by Jonathan Bureau and Jane Shears. This toolkit enables NGOs and user groups to promote the voice of service users in the development of mental health policy. It provides a step-by-step guide to user groups to working in partnership with other stakeholders to prioritise local mental health issues, develop action plans and raise awareness. Produced by the Mental Health Foundation in the U.K., March 2007.

Paving New Ground: Peers Working in In-Patient Settings
By Gayle Bluebird, National Consumer Survivor Consultant. National Technical Assistance Center, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, Alexandria, VA, 2008.

Promoting Consumer Participation in Mental Health Research: A National Workshop
Depressiona & Anxiety Consumer Research Unit, Centre for mental Health Research, Australian National University, September 2004.

The Reforms to Mental Health and Their Impact on the Empowerment of Consumers and Carers
University of Melbourne ePrints Repository - Phd thesis by Arthur J Lammers, School of Postgraduate Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, 2002.

Service User Development Worker Network
By Bev Mills, April 2003. The Service User Development Worker Network was set up in 1999. This report has identified areas of good practice and has given user development workers the opportunity to define areas of potential improvement. It also sets the foundations for further work for the Service User Development Worker Network.

Service User Participation in Mental Health Services: A Discussion Document
Wellington, NZ., Mental Health Commission, May 2002.

Working Together With Families and Caregivers
Chief Psychiatrist's Guideline. Victoria, Department of Human Services, Mental Health Branch, April 2005.

Information For Consumers on Mental Disorders and Services

Alaska Mental Health Consumer Web
This site is partially funded by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.

BBC - Health - Conditions - Mental health

CounsellingResource.com -- Counselling & Psychotherapy Resources
A well designed and informative site which will be of value to both clients and mental health practitioners. The site is the work of Greg Mulhauser who has a PhD in Philosophy of Mind.

Dr. Grohol's Psych Central
Mental Health and Psychology Resources Online. Dr. John Grohol is a clinical psychologist. This page lists links to a large number of resources, including support sites, with comments on their content and quality.

Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center
The Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. The site provides information about the treatment and prevention of eating disorders and aims to promote social attitudes that enhance a healthy body image and self-esteem.

Feeding Minds
From the Mental Health Foundation in the U.K., a campaign to change behaviour to increase the use of diet in the care, treatment and promotion of mental health, including lots of recipes to encourage healthy eating, and reports explaining the importance of nutrition in mental health.

For the Public (National Institute of Mental Health)

Go Ask Alice!: Emotional Health
Go Ask Alice! is the health question and answer Internet site produced by Alice!, Columbia University's Health Education Program division of the Columbia University Health Service. "Alice" answers questions about relationships; sexuality; sexual health; emotional health; fitness; nutrition; alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs; and, general health. This link is to the section on emotional health.

HealthInsite: A-Z Health Topics
HealthInsite is an Australian Government initiative, funded by the Department of Health and Ageing. It aims to improve the health of Australians by providing easy access to quality information about human health.

Healthy minds. Healthy lives.
Public information from the American Psyhciatric Association.

Just look
Just look is a comprehensive online national database of low cost or free health and community services offered throughout Australia. Not really a mental health site, but a useful resource for finding services available in your area.

Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN)
The National Center for Mental Health Services in the U.S. developed KEN for users of mental health services and their families, the general public, policy makers, providers, and the media. KEN is intended to be a national, one-stop source of information and resources on prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services for mental illness. It includes KEN Mental Health Services Locator which allows you to access information about mental health services in the United States state by state.

Magic Stream
Magic Stream is a self-help and mental health resource, with a focus on holistic health.

MEDLINEplus: Mental Health and Behavior Topics These mental health resources have been provided by the National Library of Medicine specifically for consumers. They include ready-made searches of the Medline database, as well as links to reports and pamphlets which can be downloaded. Drawing on the resources of both the National Library of Medicine, and the National Institutes of Health, with additional material from other sources carefully selected and evaluated, this site can be relied upon for high quality, accurate, and authoritative health information.

Mental Health Care
Mental health information from the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, and Rethink. This web site is aimed at anyone providing support to someone experiencing mental illness.

Mental Health First Aid for South Australians
By Karin Myhill and Margaret Tobin, developed in collaboration with Social Justice and Country Division, Department of Human Services, Mental Health Unit, 2001.

Mental Health First Aid Manual
By Betty Kitchener and Anthony Jorm. Australian National University, Centre for Mental Health Research, 2002.

Mental Health Information
From the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the U.K. Readable and well-researched information for the public.

Mental Health Net - Self-Help Sourcebook Online
The Self-Help Sourcebook Online is a searchable database that includes information on over 800+ national, international and demonstration model self-help support groups, ideas for starting groups, and opportunities to link with others to develop needed new national or international groups.

Mentalwellness.com
A site, described as "the online resource for schizophrenia and other mental health information", is owned by Janssen Pharmaceutical Products. It is well designed and contains personal stories, help leaflets, a small list of videos and books, and a variety of links to information on mental health topics.

Mind > Information > Booklets by series > Understanding...
A series of online booklets on individual mental disorders, from Mind, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales.

Mind & Mood - Healthy Living - Health & Wellbeing
From ABC Health & Wellbeing, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's online health gateway.

Multicultural Mental Health Australia - Fact Sheets
From the Multicultural Mental Health Australia web site, consumer information in a wide range of languages.

NLH - Mental Health
The Mental Health Specialist Library from the National Library for Health in the U.K.

NOAH (New York Online Access to Health) - Mental Health
New York Online Access to Health (NOAH) is a joint project of four New York partners who have worked together on a variety of projects for 26 years: The City University of New York, The Metropolitan New York Library Council, The New York Academy of Medicine and The New York Public Library.

Norfolk Mental Health Care Pharmacy site
This site includes drugs listed by name, with direct links to specific information for users and carers, taken from the "Your Medicines - Any Questions?" book.

Psychological Self-Help - Table of Contents
This online book is written by Clayton E. Tucker-Ladd, a clinical psychologist who lives and practices in Illinois. It can be downloaded in its entirety, or chapter by chapter.

RANZCP - Clinical Practice Guidelines: Consumer/Carer Versions
From the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

SANE Australia
SANE is a national charity devoted to helping people with a mental illness. Their web site includes downloadable fact sheets on a variety of disorders and their treatment.

SANE (U.K.) Mental Illness Literature
Information for consumers from SANE in the U.K.

Self-help & Psychology Magazine
I've included this site here rather than on my journals page, as it's more interactive than a traditional journal. It hosts a large number of discussion forums, and offers a free email newsletter.