Are people who experience mental health problems ill or disabled? The practice of psychiatry is usually based on the premise that people are ill and need to be treated. But an alternative view is that people who experience mental health problems are disabled. In this second article in her series on mental health, lecturer at The Open University’s school of health and social welfare Jeanette Henderson explores the issues

ARE PEOPLE who experience mental health problems ill or disabled? This question is as relevant to general nurse managers as it is to nurse managers in mental health settings.