To be treated like a person : the role of the psychiatric nurse in promoting consumer and carer participation in mental health service delivery

Collaboration with service users and carers is now considered an integral aspect of mental health service delivery. A review of the literature, however, suggests that this ideal is not always realised. This paper presents the results of a study undertaken to examine the perceptions of consumers, carers, psychiatric nurses and a group of key informants regarding the major barriers to the formation of a collaborative relationship. A joint venture between two Victorian rural mental health services and the Centre for Psychiatric Nursing Research and Practice at the University of Melbourne, the study utilised focus groups to assist participants to describe their experiences. In particular, the groups sought to examine aspects of nursing intervention which consumers and carers found to be helpful and those which were unhelpful or detrimental. The purpose of the investigation was to elicit information concerning barriers to nurses including consumers and carers in care planning and other decision making. Findings from the study indicate that the opinions of all stakeholder groups regarding such barriers were not entirely dissimilar. The ramifications of these findings for both the preparation of psychiatric nurses and the support of consumers and carers will be discussed.