Pushing the envelope: shared decision making in mental health.

Topic: This article reviews the literature on shared decision making in health and mental health and discusses tools in general health that are proposed for adaptation and use in mental health.

Purpose: To offer findings from literature and a product development process to help inform/guide those who wish to create or implement materials for shared decision making in mental health.

Sources Used: Published literature and research on issues related to shared decision making in health and mental health, focus groups, and product testing.

Conclusions: Structured shared decision making in mental health shows promise in supporting service user involvement in critical decision making and provides a process to open all treatment and service decisions to informed and respectful dialogue.