Modern community mental health care considers social
integration vital for improving mental health.
However, efforts to reach this goal have not been as
successful as anticipated. The study wants to achieve
a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of social
integration of people with mental health problems in
the community, and develop the healthcare
professionals' insight into this phenomenon by means
of co-operative inquiry. The data was interviews with
neighbours of group homes for people with mental
health problems, and focus groups interviews with
users. The neighbours reported frightening behaviours
as well as complications in their contact with people
who had mental health problems. The reaction of the
neighbourhood was exclusion. The user perspective
revealed that, when meeting people, the participants
experienced shame and fear of exclusion due to lack
of acceptance and loss of autonomy. Integrity proved
a necessary quality for the possibility to be treated
as an equal. Those working in community mental health
care must ensure that people suffering from mental
health problems experience a sense of belonging in
the community.