“Don’t be afraid to tell.” The spiritual and religious experience of mental health service users in Somerset

Abstract

Mental health, religion and spirituality have only recently been studied in relation to one another. In this research, for the first time service users/survivors undertook the whole project both as interviewers and interviewees. The results of 25 interviews of service users in Somerset provide the substance of the research of which 11 were analysed in greater detail using a grounded theory approach. The conclusions from the research provide valuable and detailed evidence of the significance of spirituality for some people with severe mental health problems, and of their difficulties they experience in having this aspect of their lives taken as seriously as they wish by both mental health and religious professionals.

Acknowledgement

As well as the authors of this article the Somerset Spirituality Project team included: Anne Roberts, Rita Matthews, and Phil Cracknell. Vicky Nicholls and Alison Faulkner of the Strategies for Living Project at the Mental Health Foundation were the trainers to the group.