Social inclusion in individuals with mental health problems

Study explores social inclusion among individuals with severe mental health problems, using a measure of social inclusion SInQUE, the aim is to identify individuals most at risk of social exclusion and develop more targeted interventions to improve health and social outcomes.

Social inclusion refers to the ability of an individual to participate fully in the activities within their community that they would like to participate in, such as education, work and civic duties, social leisure or entertainment activities. Lack of social inclusion, often described as social exclusion, has been identified as a significant problem for individuals who are experiencing mental health problems. There is some evidence that individuals who are socially excluded are more likely to develop mental health problems and have more difficulty in recovering. This study asks mental health service users about their current experiences of social inclusion and how these might have changed over the source of their illness, and tests a questionnaire, the SInQUE, which aims to help practitioners measure experiences of exclusion.