Background: Psychoeducation is an established intervention to increase patients’ knowledge about their illness and treatment in mental health services. Psychoeducational programmes generally have a providercentered focus and the content is usually based on professionals’ perceptions of what knowledge is best suited for the patients. A person-centered health education intervention focuses on personal development and positive dimensions of the individuals’ subjectively experienced health. Furthermore, no study has to our knowledge highlighted the patients’ experiences of person-centered health education in mental health services.

Aim: The aim of the study was to describe participants’ experiences of a person-centered health education intervention in community mental health care for persons with a persistent mental illness.

The intervention: The project was carried out in cooperation between the municipal services for persons with psychiatric disabilities and the outpatient specialist psychiatric services in the county. During the autumn of 2008 and the spring of 2009 two person-centered health education groups met on six occasions each term. The content of the sessions were determined by the participants in collaboration with the group leaders and were based on the participants’ preferences containing both theoretical information and practical activities.

Methods: A qualitative approach was used and the sample consisted of 13 persons who had participated in the group intervention. Data were collected by focus group interviews, which consist of small groups of people who talk about a certain topic lead by a moderator. The data was analyzed with a qualitative content analysis method.

Results: The findings that emerged from the data could be summarized in the theme “Health processes” consisting of three categories: The first category “Stimulating contents” contained two subcategories, experiencing something more than the average and experiencing variation. Then the category “Towards personal growth” included three subcategories; experiencing the possibility to grow, experiencing courage to do something new and experiencing freedom. Finally the category “Group context with equality” comprised three subcategories; experiencing support, experiencing that you are accepted as you are as well as experiencing that the group is important and to feel important.

Conclusion: The medical perspective of what causes and cures disease in services for persons with a persistent mental illness could be enriched with an enlarged focus on positive dimensions of health and interventions that aim to promote them. Further research about person-centred interventions should increase to meet the needs of persons with persistent mental illness.