Perspectives of collaboration/non-collaboration in a mental health inpatient setting

Research investigating collaboration in health care has mainly taken place in general settings or has focused on the professional viewpoint. The initial aim of this study was an attempt to illuminate and explore 'collaboration' from the perspective of a person with a clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia using a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach. Through in-depth conversation, it became apparent that, rather than describing good examples of collaboration, the participant spontaneously drew attention to episodes of 'non-collaboration' and the difficulties he had experienced in joint decision-making in an inpatient mental health setting. Incorporated are extracts from a reflective journal to reveal the prejudices and preunderstandings of the researcher, who is a mental health nurse. The need for further research encompassing the views of those with a diagnosis of severe and enduring mental illness is underlined.