About us

National Partnership for Mental Health in Västra Götaland and Gothenburg (NSPH Västra Götaland and Gotherburg) was founded 2008. We coordinate associations for service users and relatives/family carers in the field of mental health. Currently we are 17 associations that collaborates to influence health care and social services and to increase knowledge in society about mental health issues and stigmatization.

We work for increased user influence and participation in all levels of society so that users can become more involved in decisions that are made in different community areas as well as in areas that concerns themselves as individuals. With our unique first-person perspective and lived experience, we -patients, service users and relatives – are an essential resource in the development of health care and to increase the knowledge about mental illness in society.

Our values are based upon United nations´ universal declaration of human rights that states that all humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights despite of age, gender, ethnicity and functionality.

Our Aims are:
  • To develop the user influence in all levels of society.
  • For psychiatric health care to be humane, democratic and of good quality and based on science as well as on the experiences of the users and their relatives.
  • Contribute to society developing early interventions to prevent mental health problems and exclusion.
  • Increase the knowledge of mental health issues in society so that the stigmatization of people with mental illness can be eradicated.
Some methods we use to achieve a greater user influence are:
  • Peer support – people with personal experience of mental illness work professionally in mental health service in both the level of the municipality and the region.
  • User led audits – an investigation of an activity or of health- and social care led and controlled by people with personal experience of mental illness.
  • Study circles – for example “Your own power” and “Your own rights”.
  • Hjärnkoll – antistigma campaign. Using peoples experience of mental illness and recovery to change attitudes and increase knowledge.
  • Workshops about human rights and participation.