From patients to users of services: the discourse on mental health issues in Iceland, 1960–1985

This article examines differences in the discourse from a medical towards a psychosocial approach on mental health problems in Iceland by employing a systematic comparison of the use of terms about mental health in two different time periods: during 1960–1970 and 1971–1985. This is done by analyzing articles and interviews found in newspapers, magazines, and journals. There were differences in the discourse about mental health and it became more about people and individuals instead of patients, and as subjects rather than objects. This was related to the entry of new allied professions into the field of mental health, such as occupational therapists, psychologists and social workers. It is argued that the views of persons with experiences of mental health problems played an important role in the emergence of changing perspectives of persons with mental health issues, methods in mental health services, and location of treatment and psychiatric rehabilitation.