Working towards successfully centering dignity and epistemic justice in mental health practice

Dignity is rooted in values such as autonomy, freedom, and responsibility. Every interaction in a health care setting has the potential to be a positive dignity encounter, enabled by service providers. This review article presents positive examples of the implementation of dignified and successful approaches in different mental health service contexts in the UK, Germany, and Sweden. These examples highlight the translation of values into practice, providing guidance and inspiration to support positive changes internationally. Epistemic injustice highlights the vulnerabilities that mental health service users may face. Concepts from epistemic injustice theory are applied to exemplify how epistemic justice can be strengthened through approaches and methods that affirm service users as knowers and testifiers. Shared decision-making permeates several of our examples, alongside the involvement of family and peers in the planning and delivery of care and the use of EbEs (experts-by-experience). Likewise, the examples highlight how respecting service users’ experiences and empowering them to actively participate in their care are essential components in promoting dignity. Hence, implementing the methods indicated in this article requires a willingness to focus on the strengths and resources of service users and informal carers, validating them as competent and indispensable sources of knowledge, in addition to the knowledge brought in by professionals.