Citizen Patient Power

Making an original contribution to debates on health policy, this accessible and engaging book critically examines the future of health care and public health policy from the perspective of users and citizens. Consumerism, partnerships with patients and user involvement are seen as key to future health care and healthy public policies. The book outlines how individuals as patients, healthy people and research subjects relate to health services and how the public, as citizens, influence health care and public policies at local, national and international levels.

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

When the state punishes criminals or removes children at risk, its power is immediately apparent. However, power is also at stake when the state seeks to educate, advise, or empower citizens, and this book encourages reflection on the exercise of professional power in these less coercive encounters.

Combatting mental health stigma and discrimination has moved from a radical idea in the 1990s to mainstream policy today. However, there are huge questions about how to do it effectively, and the journey to get equal life chances is still a long one. As part of the Foundations of Mental Health Practice series, this book explores these important questions and considers the solutions. It pulls together ground-breaking examples and the latest research evidence to argue for a compelling new theory and agenda for social change to promote equality and citizenship. Accessibly written, it demonstrates how mental health practitioners of all disciplines can stand alongside individuals with lived experience and their organisations to challenge discrimination and participate in all aspects of the community. It also addresses the role of families, friends and those with a policy, campaigning or legal interest. Completely up to date, it draws on new research and interviews, as well as the author's 30 years of experience working in the field. With chapter summaries, further reading and reflective exercises, this book offers support for research and practice, making it an essential and important read for any student or practitioner in the field who advocates equality, and for people with lived experience, families, friends and campaigners.

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"Biocitizenship: The Politics of Bodies, Governance, and Power is a critical study of the relationship between the concept of citizenship and the body"--