Reflections on empowerment in community mental health: giving shape to an elusive idea.

Empowerment has achieved a prominent position in the doctrine of community mental health. This paper conceptualizes empowerment, describes its historical development in the field and its relation to power theory. While there has been a recent erosion of social-political forces enabling empowerment, we contend a legacy of empowerment will endure. Four examples of this legacy are discussed: (a)focus on social determinants of health; (b) development of conceptual models; (c) tolerance for professional self-reflection; and (d) growth of formal consumer controlled organizations.