Table 1 Summary of the characteristics of the included studies

Bennetts et al. [23]/Australia

To explore what managers believe consumer participation to be, how they view the role of consumer consultants, and how they developed their understandings of consumer participation

Thematic analysis involving semi-structured interviews with 7 senior mental health managers working within an organization that had included consumer participation for many years

CASP = 20

Chong et al. [24]/Australia

To explore the perceptions of different healthcare professionals on shared decision-making and current interprofessional collaboration in mental healthcare

Thematic analysis involving interviews with 11 pharmacists, 7 nurses, 4 psychiatrists, 4 general practitioners, 2 social workers, 2 occupational therapists, and 1 psychologist

CASP = 18

Connor and Wilson [13]/United Kingdom

To obtain the views of a sample of users of mental health services regarding user involvement

Grounded theory study involving focus groups with 31 service users

CASP = 22

El Enany et al. [14]/United Kingdom

To explore the role of the user, and the basis of their ‘lay’ knowledge, in user involvement processes

Deductive reasoning involving semi-structured interviews with 35 health professionals and 28 service users

CASP = 18

Elstad and Eide [15]/Norway

To add to our understanding of user participation by exploring the experiences of users and professionals within a community mental health service

Thematic analysis involving interviews with 10 service users of community mental health centres

CASP = 24

Galon and Graor [16]/United States

To describe the social process of engagement in primary care treatment from the perspective of persons with severe and persistent mental illness

Grounded theory study involving semi-structured interviews with 32 service users

CASP = 21

Goodwin and Happell [25, 26]/Australia

To contribute to the body of knowledge regarding psychiatric or mental health nurses’ attitudes toward consumer and carer participation in mental health care

Content analysis involving focus groups with 30 psychiatric nurses

CASP = 16

Kidd et al. [17]/Australia

To explore the perceptions of consumer advocates and clinicians about the concept of consumer participation in mental health services and examine how consumer participation policy initiatives are enacted at a service delivery level

Thematic analysis involving semi-structured interviews with 8 health professionals and 2 consumer representatives, all of whom were members of a steering committee of mental health services

CASP = 19

Lammers and Happell [19]/Australia

To explore and discuss the perceptions of mental health service consumers regarding the reality of available opportunities for participation in the development, delivery and evaluation of mental health services

Thematic analysis involving in-depth interviews with 15 service users

CASP = 19

Lester et al. [18]/United Kingdom

To describe the views on, potential for, and types of patient involvement in primary care from the perspectives of primary care health professionals and patients with serious mental illness

Thematic analysis involving 18 focus groups with 45 service users, 39 general practitioners, and 8 practice nurses

CASP = 14

Lloyd [30]/United Kingdom

To identify the methods of empowerment used by mental health nurses

Thematic analysis involving semi-structured interviews with 10 mental health nurses

CASP = 23

Matthias et al. [28]/United States

To explore how consumers and providers make decisions in medication management consultations

Thematic analysis of directly observed medical consultation involving 4 providers, each of whom provided one consultation with 10 service users

CASP = 16

Petersen et al. [22]/Denmark

To gain insight into how the user’s understand and experience user involvement in mental health rehabilitation

Ethnographic study involving field observations and interviews with 12 service users

CASP = 24

Restall and Strutt [21]/Canada

To explore the perspectives of people who use mental health services on participation in mental health service planning and evaluation

Thematic analysis involving interviews and focus groups with 63 service users

CASP = 13

Rise et al. [31]/Norway

To investigate and compare service users’ and service providers’ own definitions of patient and public involvement and their implications

Grounded theory study involving semi-structured interviews with 20 patients, 13 public representatives and 44 health service providers/managers

CASP = 18

Rise et al. [32]/Norway

To investigate the experiences of professionals and service user representatives who took part in the implementation of a comprehensive development plan intended to enhance user involvement in a mental health hospital

Thematic analysis involving interviews with 5 service users and 13 health professionals. Ten meetings between service users and health professionals were also observed and notes were taken

CASP = 18

Robert [33]/United Kingdom

To explore the involvement of mental health service users in the redesign of in-patient mental health services

Thematic analysis involving 65 semi-structured exploratory interviews undertaken with project managers, team members, user representatives and other key informants and stakeholders

CASP = 16

Solbjor et al. [29]/Norway

To investigate mental health service users’ and providers’ views on patient participation during episodes of mental illness

Grounded theory study involving interviews with 17 patients, three service user representatives, 17 health professionals and 8 managers

CASP = 18

Summers [34]/United Kingdom

To explore psychiatrists’ views on active user involvement in the development of local NHS services

Thematic analysis involving semi-structured interviews with 14 psychiatrists

CASP = 16