title: Determinants of engagement in mental health consumer-run organizations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mental health consumer-run organizations (CROs) are a low-cost, evidence-based strategy for promoting recovery. To increase CRO utilization, characteristics that promote engagement need to be identified and encouraged. The study examined individual and organizational characteristics that predict three types of engagement in CROs-attendance, leadership involvement, and socially supportive involvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surveys were administered to 250 CRO members attending 20 CROs. Leaders of each CRO reported organizational characteristics through a separate questionnaire. Multilevel regression models examined relationships between predictors and indicators of CRO engagement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perceived sense of community was the only characteristic that predicted attendance, leadership involvement, and socially supportive involvement (p<.001). Perceived organizational empowerment, shared leadership, peer counseling, and several demographic characteristics also predicted some measures of engagement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CROs that can effectively promote sense of community, organizational empowerment, shared leadership, and peer counseling may be better able to engage participants. The discussion considers several strategies to enhance these characteristics, such as collectively establishing values and practicing shared decision making.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Brown is with the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, El Paso Regional Campus, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, El Paso, Texas (e-mail: louis.d.brown@uth.tmc.edu ). Dr. Townley is with the Department of Psychology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Louis Davis
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Townley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003255:Consumer Organizations / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003376:Counseling / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007615:Kansas; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult