People'S participation in mental health planning the kerala initiative.

Kerala state branch of IPS sought suggestions from the public regarding the state policy on mental health. The letters received from the people were analysed and most suggestions were found to be useful. Suggestions made by the people and the psychiatrists were similar in content. This observation highlights the usefulness of 'user-provider collaboration' in mental health planning. Both user as well as the 'providers' need to be consulted in order to establish user-friendly mental health services.