Description
The project will support individuals with mental diseases from Małopolska region as an attempt to address the issue of aggravating social exclusion of that group. As project outcome, 120 individuals suffering from mental diseases and people from their immediate environment will learn how to cope with exclusion at various levels thanks to the method of “first-hand knowledge" transfer coming from those who have overcome the disease. Research component of the project, which consists in involving project beneficiaries in joint decision-taking process, will result in a report with recommendations as a stepping stone to more open communication in the public space and clear formulation of expectations, so as to improve the adequacy of proposed forms of support. According to assumptions, there will be project preparatory stage - development of a script for interviews and research, a cycle of 10 research and educational interviews, formulation of the report together with recommendations to be shared with decision-makers and disseminated.
Summary of project results
"The number of persons with diagnosed mental illness who start treatment has been steadily rising. The specificity of mental illness is that it leads to social exclusion (surveys show that as much as 75% of schizophrenia patients in Poland have disability pensions as persons unable to work). Grantee's experiences show that assistance offered to patients is often inadequate. The most interested persons, i.e. the mentally ill persons themselves, are not included in the process of deciding on the forms of assistance. It is also important to include mentally ill persons in the very process of treating mental conditions. Members of the association, as persons having experience of mental illness, have resources to support other patients - pass to them their own experiences and knowledge on how to cope with the illness. The aim of the project was to support mentally ill persons in their recovery and to give them the opportunity to voice their needs in this area. As a result of the project, 146 mentally ill persons were given opportunity to voice their expectations as to the support offered by institutions that are supposed to care for mentally ill people, and became acquainted with strategies of coping with illness on various levels. 10 research and education meetings were organised with mentally ill persons where those who defeated the illness shared strategies of coping with exclusion, using the method of presenting first-hand knowledge, and where needs of mentally ill persons were surveyed. The research part of the project that consisted basically in including the beneficiaries of the project in the processes of co-deciding, resulted in preparation of a report containing recommendations (available on the Internet page of the association and printed in 100 copies). The report was sent to assistance institutions and treatment centres in Małopolska and to institutions that have decisive voice in developing policies concerning mentally ill people. Direct beneficiaries of the activities (research and education meetings) were 146 mentally ill persons from 10 different localities in Małopolska."
Summary of bilateral results