New Advances in Mental Health Services: Recovery-Oriented Practice Approaches and Co-production

Dear Colleagues,

There is a growing appreciation internationally of the role social determinants of health play in social disadvantage, mental ill health, and psychological and emotional distress. In mental health services, there is a call to clinical leaders for a shift in emphasis to service development, through an awareness of the need to change power relationships, acting in a spirit of allyship. If more fully realised, this would represent a genuine transformation in mental health services internationally. The fostering of service user and family carer perspectives, voice, roles and collaboration—indeed, their emerging leadership—is central to this change. A movement towards authentic co-design and co-production will be pivotal to the change process. This Special Issue aims to contribute to advancing the literature on recovery-oriented approaches and co-production already taking place in modest pockets in mental health services. We therefore welcome theoretical, critical and/or empirical practice contributions that broaden knowledge on those factors, processes and mechanisms that are leading to and can lead to advances in mental health services, particularly those elevating and articulating what is happening and what is required for system and cultural reform intentions to be realised.

Dr. Melissa Petrakis
Guest Editor

Caroline Walters
Janice Chisholm
Guest Editor Assistants

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