ABSTRACT
The discourse within mental health circles in Britain has changed considerably over the past ®fteen years; `health' is talked about instead of `illness' and even `symptoms', `service users' instead of `patients' and `interventions' instead of `treatment'. Currently there is talk about `spirituality' in mental health care (e.g. Cornah, 2006; Sperry, 2001; Swinton, 2001) and `recovery' in place of `care' (see Department of Health, 2001; Lester and Gask, 2006; Pitt et al., 2007). That is the talk. Yet in practice, mental health services in the statutory sector (within the National Health Service) are dominated by the traditional bio-medical approach characteristic of western psychiatry, whether in community care settings, outpatient clinics or inpatient units. Admittedly, though, this may not be the case in a few instances and in services in the voluntary sector, i.e. non-governmental organisations.
