Reducing the impact of epistemic injustices in shared decision-making processes

Shared decision-making (SDM) has emerged as an essential concept in community mental health services, emphasizing collaboration between service providers and service users to make informed choices that impact their lives. However, this framework is not immune to the insidious influence of epistemic injustice, hindering a fair and equitable distribution of knowledge and the recognition of service users as valuable carriers of experience-based knowledge. This presentation delves into the intersection of SDM and epistemic injustice in the field of community mental health, highlighting the crucial need to address epistemic injustices to ensure more just, inclusive, and ethical decision-making processes within social work practices. Drawing upon the theoretical frameworks of epistemic injustice, the presentation will examine real-world examples from an intervention study where SDM is implemented in care planning situations with service users with complex needs. Strategies and interventions that can be employed by staff and organizations to mitigate the impact of epistemic injustices on SDM in these care planning situations. By acknowledging the presence of injustices and actively working to rectify them, mental health staff can foster a more inclusive, equitable, and empathetic approach to decision-making that respects the diverse perspectives and experiences of all individuals involved in the process. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on social justice and ethics in mental health practice.