Riksförbundet för Social och Mental Hälsa, the Swedish National Association for Social and Mental Health, (RSMH) was established in 1967 as a non-profit national federation of local democratic associations, with no affiliations to any political parties or religious organizations. It was founded by and in the interest of people with experiences of mental and social health issues that has led to some degree of mental disability.
Our organization is a part of the international mental health service user/survivor movement as well as the Swedish Disability Federation. Peer-support and advocacy-work are our core strategy.
The goal of our advocacy work in general is to influence, enlighten and inspire politicians, care institutions and authorities in order to give users of mental health care and people with mental disabilities enhanced influence and power over their own lives and access to equal opportunities in society.
The greater task of RSMH is to improve the quality of care and support available to people with mental health problems and support the right to autonomy as well as to promote a change of attitude and fight prejudice about mental health. In this effort RSMH draws on the collective experiences of thousands of its members from the whole of Sweden and work together with other national bodies of the Swedish Disability Federation and the mental health service user/survivor movement.