Using focus groups and photography to evaluate experiences of social inclusion within rehabilitation adult mental health services

Tackling the social exclusion of people with mental health problems is a primary concern for contemporary mental health services. A social inclusion network was developed to co‐ordinate a small participatory project arising as part of a practice development initiative. It aimed to examine the experiences of involvement in the community from the perspectives of those using and working in rehabilitation adult mental health services.To gather information three different approaches were used. Networks between rehabilitation services and community resources were identified using a mapping tool whilst focus groups were used to gain more in‐depth perceptions from rehabilitation staff. Finally, a participatory photo project was conducted which involved working with people who use services to capture images of their involvement in their local community. This article reports on the outcomes of the focus groups and photography project.Findings suggested that services reported some success at developing partnerships within the community, but discrimination still remained a significant obstacle. For those people living in the units, social inclusion was an acutely subjective experience in which people continued to experience acceptance and inclusion within mental health services and had made active choices in defining this as their community.