Voluntary action by relatives and friends of schizophrenia sufferers in Britain.

The founding of the National Schizophrenia Fellowship (NSF) is described as a response to the failure of the professional mental health community to meet the needs of schizophrenic individuals and their families. Since its inception, the NSF has engaged in four types of activities: education, political lobbying, policy formulation, and research support. Examples of each type of activity are given, illustrating the efficacy of such consumer-oriented organizations in coping with serious mental disorders such as schizophrenia.