Patients' Experiences of Participating Actively in Shared Decision-Making in Mental Care.

BACKGROUND

Patients in mental care express a wish for more active participation. Shared decision-making is a way of increasing patient participation. There is lack of research into what the shared decision-making process means and how the patients can participate in and experience it in the context of mental care.

OBJECTIVE

To describe patient participation in shared decision-making in the context of indoor mental care.

METHOD

A qualitative content analysis of data from in-depth interviews with 16 patients was performed.

RESULTS

One main theme was revealed: , which represented the red thread between 2 themes: and .

CONCLUSION

Patients can participate actively in shared decision-making when the patients' and the mental health-care professionals' joint expertise is applied throughout their mental care. The patients experience thriving when participating actively in a complementary ensemble of care.