Abstract
There has been a recent surge of interest in recovery, co‐production in care and political inclusion for persons with mental health difficulties (Voorberg et al. 2015.) This has revealed a need for principles based on robust theoretical and empirical enquiry to guide practices that enhance political participation in institutional settings. This need is likely to be felt in any jurisdiction that has ratified the UNCRPD and therefore the concern is internationally relevant. This paper offers, based on empirical research, a set of principles that mental health nurses and other practitioners might apply when making decisions as to what types of political participation are appropriately facilitated during mental health treatment. It also provides examples of implementation approaches observed and a critique of practice based on individualised notions of autonomy.