There is increasing awareness that mental health consumers may have important information for the development of services. In this qualitative study, I interviewed 10 consumers with the purpose of exploring in depth their experiences in interacting with service providers in the greater Vancouver area. Using constant comparative analysis, I found that the data suggested participants’ experiences of recovery developed largely out of connecting with other consumers rather than with service providers. Current services were portrayed as primarily reliant on the use of psychiatric medication. Consumers pointed to numerous difficulties in seeking help, including a lack of treatment alternatives, stigma and isolation. They also presented a strong demand for services and policies that promote an individual sense of recovery and support their fundamental human rights. Mental health service providers need to critically reflect on their current practices and policies, and how they may negatively impact their clients' lives by failing to properly listen to their narratives, grievances, experiences and perceptions. This study suggests further inclusion of consumer's views and participation in services to foster collaborative, recovery-oriented practices.

There is increasing awareness that mental health consumers may have important information for the development of services. In this qualitative study, I interviewed 10 consumers with the purpose of exploring in depth their experiences in interacting with service providers in the greater Vancouver area. Using constant comparative analysis, I found that the data suggested participants’ experiences of recovery developed largely out of connecting with other consumers rather than with service providers. Current services were portrayed as primarily reliant on the use of psychiatric medication. Consumers pointed to numerous difficulties in seeking help, including a lack of treatment alternatives, stigma and isolation. They also presented a strong demand for services and policies that promote an individual sense of recovery and support their fundamental human rights. Mental health service providers need to critically reflect on their current practices and policies, and how they may negatively impact their clients' lives by failing to properly listen to their narratives, grievances, experiences and perceptions. This study suggests further inclusion of consumer's views and participation in services to foster collaborative, recovery-oriented practices.

There is increasing awareness that mental health consumers may have important information for the development of services. In this qualitative study, I interviewed 10 consumers with the purpose of exploring in depth their experiences in interacting with service providers in the greater Vancouver area. Using constant comparative analysis, I found that the data suggested participants’ experiences of recovery developed largely out of connecting with other consumers rather than with service providers. Current services were portrayed as primarily reliant on the use of psychiatric medication. Consumers pointed to numerous difficulties in seeking help, including a lack of treatment alternatives, stigma and isolation. They also presented a strong demand for services and policies that promote an individual sense of recovery and support their fundamental human rights. Mental health service providers need to critically reflect on their current practices and policies, and how they may negatively impact their clients' lives by failing to properly listen to their narratives, grievances, experiences and perceptions. This study suggests further inclusion of consumer's views and participation in services to foster collaborative, recovery-oriented practices. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

A review of research specific to the active participation of mental health consumers in mental health research indicates that consumers have little input into mental health services program development or evaluation. Participatory action research, which is strengths-based and action-oriented, offers a process through which people utilizing mental health services and social work researchers can work together to develop evaluation and assessment tools that are both more relevant to program outcomes and empowering to the people whose progress they measure. Congruent with basic social work values of empowerment and social justice, participatory research assists in breaking down long-standing power imbalances between consumers and workers / researchers in the field of mental health. The primary intervention involved the practicum student working collaboratively with a group of mental health consumers to design and complete a research project, where the topic was chosen by the consumer researchers. The student prepared educational sessions so that knowledge of the research process was transferred to the consumer researchers. The consumer researchers progressed through each phase of the project, ultimately completing the project and publishing the research findings. The practicum student learned how to facilitate a participatory action research project, as well as learning the skills associated with working with self-help organizations and their members. Learning goals included increased proficiency in project management skills, research management skills, and research team coordination. Facilitation of a participatory action research project differs from others in its emphasis on shared decision-making and ongoing examination of power relationships. The student’s progress was evaluated by using the following methods: a student supervision form, a post-intervention interview with organizational representatives, and the student’s progress journal. Findings indicated growth in the areas of project management (organizational and facilitation skills), research management (teaching research methodology), and research team coordination (support and accommodation). Areas of continued possible growth were also identified. The practicum intervention was evaluated by using the following methods: A Consumer Constructed Empowerment Scale (CCES) was used to measure pre and post-test indicators of consumer researchers’ empowerment (quantitative), consumer skill logbooks, post-intervention interviews with consumer researchers, and post-intervention interviews with organizational representatives. Empowerment was measured at the individual, group, and organizational levels. Qualitative findings indicated increased perceptions of empowerment at all levels. Findings from the CCES indicated positive trends toward empowerment in one subscale, minimal change in four subscales, and a significant change in the overall empowerment score. / February 2008

A review of research specific to the active participation of mental health consumers in mental health research indicates that consumers have little input into mental health services program development or evaluation. Participatory action research, which is strengths-based and action-oriented, offers a process through which people utilizing mental health services and social work researchers can work together to develop evaluation and assessment tools that are both more relevant to program outcomes and empowering to the people whose progress they measure. Congruent with basic social work values of empowerment and social justice, participatory research assists in breaking down long-standing power imbalances between consumers and workers / researchers in the field of mental health. The primary intervention involved the practicum student working collaboratively with a group of mental health consumers to design and complete a research project, where the topic was chosen by the consumer researchers. The student prepared educational sessions so that knowledge of the research process was transferred to the consumer researchers. The consumer researchers progressed through each phase of the project, ultimately completing the project and publishing the research findings. The practicum student learned how to facilitate a participatory action research project, as well as learning the skills associated with working with self-help organizations and their members. Learning goals included increased proficiency in project management skills, research management skills, and research team coordination. Facilitation of a participatory action research project differs from others in its emphasis on shared decision-making and ongoing examination of power relationships. The student’s progress was evaluated by using the following methods: a student supervision form, a post-intervention interview with organizational representatives, and the student’s progress journal. Findings indicated growth in the areas of project management (organizational and facilitation skills), research management (teaching research methodology), and research team coordination (support and accommodation). Areas of continued possible growth were also identified. The practicum intervention was evaluated by using the following methods: A Consumer Constructed Empowerment Scale (CCES) was used to measure pre and post-test indicators of consumer researchers’ empowerment (quantitative), consumer skill logbooks, post-intervention interviews with consumer researchers, and post-intervention interviews with organizational representatives. Empowerment was measured at the individual, group, and organizational levels. Qualitative findings indicated increased perceptions of empowerment at all levels. Findings from the CCES indicated positive trends toward empowerment in one subscale, minimal change in four subscales, and a significant change in the overall empowerment score.

A review of research specific to the active participation of mental health consumers in mental health research indicates that consumers have little input into mental health services program development or evaluation. Participatory action research, which is strengths-based and action-oriented, offers a process through which people utilizing mental health services and social work researchers can work together to develop evaluation and assessment tools that are both more relevant to program outcomes and empowering to the people whose progress they measure. Congruent with basic social work values of empowerment and social justice, participatory research assists in breaking down long-standing power imbalances between consumers and workers / researchers in the field of mental health. The primary intervention involved the practicum student working collaboratively with a group of mental health consumers to design and complete a research project, where the topic was chosen by the consumer researchers. The student prepared educational sessions so that knowledge of the research process was transferred to the consumer researchers. The consumer researchers progressed through each phase of the project, ultimately completing the project and publishing the research findings. The practicum student learned how to facilitate a participatory action research project, as well as learning the skills associated with working with self-help organizations and their members. Learning goals included increased proficiency in project management skills, research management skills, and research team coordination. Facilitation of a participatory action research project differs from others in its emphasis on shared decision-making and ongoing examination of power relationships. The student’s progress was evaluated by using the following methods: a student supervision form, a post-intervention interview with organizational representatives, and the student’s progress journal. Findings indicated growth in the areas of project management (organizational and facilitation skills), research management (teaching research methodology), and research team coordination (support and accommodation). Areas of continued possible growth were also identified. The practicum intervention was evaluated by using the following methods: A Consumer Constructed Empowerment Scale (CCES) was used to measure pre and post-test indicators of consumer researchers’ empowerment (quantitative), consumer skill logbooks, post-intervention interviews with consumer researchers, and post-intervention interviews with organizational representatives. Empowerment was measured at the individual, group, and organizational levels. Qualitative findings indicated increased perceptions of empowerment at all levels. Findings from the CCES indicated positive trends toward empowerment in one subscale, minimal change in four subscales, and a significant change in the overall empowerment score.

Introduktion: Syntetisk media omfattar teknik som berör många områden, t ex syntetisk text- och röstbearbetning, videomanipulation, bildmanipulation, digitala människor och ansikten. Under de senaste åren har den tekniska utvecklingen accelererat ytterligare, till en informations- och kommunikationsteknologi (IKT) som omfattar möjligheten att använda syntetisk media alltmer. Detta har lett till implementering av nya informations- och kommunikationsverktyg för hälsokonsumenten, bl. a med förhoppning om ökad individuell empowerment. Det är således intressant att undersöka hur syntetisk media beskrivs vara möjligt att användas hälsofrämjande inom folkhälsoarbete samt beskriva hur det påverkar empowerment hos hälsokonsumenter. Syfte: Syftet för detta examensarbete har varit att redogöra för vilka syntetisk media som används idag som informations- och kommunikationsverktyg inom hälsopromotion och prevention samt undersöka deras konsekvenser på hälsokonsumentens empowerment. Metod: En strukturerad litteraturöversikt med tematisk analys enligt Braun &. Clarks (2006) modell. Resultat: Totalt har 14 vetenskapliga artiklar ingått som urval i den tematiska analysen. Efter tematisering har slutligen 5 teman kunnat presenteras; Hälsokonsumentens karakteristika, Målområden för digital hälsa, Digitalt verktyg-syntetisk media, Intervention genom digitalt verktyg-syntetisk media, Konsekvenser för hälsokonsumenten. Slutsats: Syntetisk media kan verka som ett digitalt hälsofrämjande informations- och kommunikationsverktyg och har möjlighet att genom olika digitala interventioner rikta sig till hälsokonsumenter med potential för att stärka deras empowerment. Hälsokonsumenterna har beskrivits som en heterogen grupp, med olika åldrar, kön och bakgrund. I dagsläget är det till arbetets syfte relaterade urvalet av studier dock begränsat. Det finns därmed ett behov av fortsatta studier som följer utvecklingen av syntetisk media i relation till folkhälsoarbete beträffande utformning, effekt, hållbarhet och säkerhet. / Introduction: Synthetic media includes technologies such as synthetic text and voice processing, video manipulation, image manipulation, digital people and faces. In recent years, technological development has accelerated further, to an information and communication technology (ICT) that increasingly embraces the possibility of using synthetic media. This has led to the implementation of new tools for the health consumer, in the hope of increased individual empowerment. It is therefore interesting to investigate synthetic media in the context of public health work and empowerment in health consumers. Aim: The aim of this thesis has been to account for which synthetic media is today used as information and communication tools in health promotion and disease prevention and to investigate their consequences on the empowerment of the health consumer. Methods: A structured literature review with thematic analysis according to Braun & Clark's (2006) model. Results: Totally 14 scientific articles have been selected for the thematic analysis. All together 5 themes could be presented: Characteristics of the health consumer, Target areas for digital health, Digital tools-synthetic media, Intervention through digital tools-synthetic media, Consequences for the health consumer. Conclusion: Synthetic media can act as a digital health promoting information and communication tool and target health consumers through various digital interventions with the potential to strengthen their empowerment. Health consumers have been described as a heterogeneous group. At present, there are limited studies available related to the study aim. There is therefore a need for further studies of synthetic media in relation to public health work related to design, efficacy, sustainability and safety.