Participation among young people with mental health issues

This chapter extends extant literature on youth participation in two ways. First, it argues that current understandings of youth participation, particularly those espoused by government policy, need to be broadened. This paper argues that non-conventional forms of social participation can offer meaningful alternatives for enhancing the participation of excluded groups such as young people with mental health problems. Second, the chapter suggests that broadening current understandings of youth participation should not be done without careful consideration of possible implications – especially for young people.