How to work with human right and personhood in ordinary psychosis care - narratives from selfexperts and staff and exercises

In Gothenburg Sweden, an open care unit and connecting ward at Mölndal hospital has worked with human rights principles and with personhood in many ways. One way has been education for staff and right holders (patients). ... [ view full abstract ]

In Gothenburg Sweden, an open care unit and connecting ward at Mölndal hospital has worked with human rights principles and with personhood in many ways. One way has been education for staff and right holders (patients).

One result has been a project that is called "To come to one´s own right – Empowerment based psychiatry". This project aims to create methods of how to work in the human rights-based practice in psychiatry. The project run by three people with personal experience of psychosis, along with two staff from a psychosis open care unit in north-eastern Gothenburg. 

The activities in the Project include:

1.    Talkingshops and meeting places with people with own experience of psychosis

2.    Workshops for staff in psychiatry about human rights and dilemmas

3.    Lectures about human rights

4.    Participation in an integration program in Gothenburg

The goal is that a human rights-based approach will permeate the psychiatry in Gothenburg. The rights-holders shall be more involved in their care and more equal in their health care relationships. We believe that people's own stories are important to highlight. When people are treated as individuals with unique life stories, we believe that the coercive measures in psychiatry can decrease and people's sense of empowerment increases.

Since we originate from a very multicultural area the concept understanding is important for us. We think that the Culture formulation interview in DSM 5 is a useful tool to capture the language and understanding of suffering.

This workshop present some of this work and will also present the narratives from people with personal experience of psychosis and staff involved in the process. We will also have some practical exercises in for example master suppression techniques. We who present the workshop are persons with personal experience together with staff.