Empirical studies focusing on the subjective experience of health among patients in contact with the mental health services has been rare and questionnaires used to assess outcome of care are often based on a medical model that emphasizes objectively observed disease-oriented health indicators.

Method: In studies I and II perceptions of the concept of health among patients and nurses in mental health services were explored and described using a phenomenographic approach. The perceptions and description categories that emerged from these studies were transformed into a number of items forming a questionnaire intended to measure subjectively experienced health among patients in mental health services. In study III, a randomly selected sample was used to test the psychometric properties of the new Health Questionnaire. A factor analysis revealed three factors labelled Autonomy, Social Involvement and Comprehensibility. The purpose of study IV was to examine the construct validity of the Health Questionnaire. The hypothesis was that subjectively experienced health would be positively associated to self-esteem, empowerment and quality of life, and negatively associated to psychiatric symptoms, perceived stigmatization experiences and perceived attitudes of devaluation and discrimination.

Results: This hypothesis was mainly confirmed insofar that overall health was positively correlated to self-esteem, empowerment and quality of life and negatively correlated to symptoms, attitudes of devaluation and discrimination and rejection experiences. The results of this thesis show that health is more than just absence of disease and support a focus on health promotion interventions in mental health care.