ABSTRACT
This chapter proposes a framework of citizenship for people with mental illnesses to achieve community inclusion and full participation in society. It considers people's exercise of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the context of adequate resources, in possession of valued social roles, and with positive relationships and social networks as a pre-condition for recovery, rather than an eventual reward contingent on overcoming one's disability. The chapter argues that people's lived experience of regaining a sense of citizenship and of belonging to their local neighborhoods, communities, and society as a whole can help foster an evolution from disease management to health promotion and community inclusion. It suggests that attention to linkages between citizenship, mental health, and positive psychology can be useful in health promotion and population approaches to mental health. The chapter suggests that citizenship is a multi-dimensional construct and that individuals with different life experiences perceive varying degrees of inclusion.
