3 International Journal of Mental Health, vol. 41, no. 4 (Winter 2012–2013), pp. © 2013 M.E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved. Permissions: www.copyright.com ISSN 0020–7411 (print)/ISSN 1557-9328 (online) DOI: 10.2753/IMH0020-7411410401 IRJA NIEMINEN, SHULAMIT RAMON, IAN DAWSON, PAZ FLORES, EITHNE LEAHY, MARIA LOUISE PEDERSEN, AND MARJA KAUNONEN Experiences of Social Inclusion and Employment of Mental Health Service Users in an EU Project ABSTRACT: Aims: The aim of this study is to describe how the mental health service users experienced social inclusion and employment in the EU EMILIA project. Methods: The study design is an intervention group follow-up study, with data collection at three points: baseline (T0), at 10-month follow-up (T1), and at 20-month follow-up (T2). The data for this study were collected with thematic in- terviews from mental health service users and were thematic analyzed with content analysis. The number of participants was 23 including two to four service users per each demonstration site. Results: Most users experienced improvement in their social life. Employment and participation in meaningful activities continued to improve to the end of the EMILIA project, although at a slower pace. In addition, users were motivated for work and actively searched for employment. Having a mental illness, stigma, and discrimination were reported to be obstacles to social inclusion. The difficulties identified in social relationships continued to exist. Conclusions: Train- ing intervention impact positively on mental health service users’ social inclusion Irja Nieminen, MNSc, is a researcher at the University of Tampere, School of Health Sciences, Tampere, Finland. Shulamit Ramon, Ph.D., is a professor, Faculty of Health and Social Care at the Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Ian Dawson is Coordinator of Services at the Salten District Psychiatric Centre, Nordland Hospital, Bodø, Norway. Paz Flores is a psychiatrist at the Day Psychiatric Hospital, Centre Forum-Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain. Eithne Leahy is a mental health re- searcher at the Biomedical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain. MariaLouise Pedersen is research assistant, Psychiatric Research Unit, Region Zealand, Vodinborg, Denmark. Marja Kaunonen, PhD, is an adjunct professor at the University of Tampere, School of Health Sciences/Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Science Center, Tampere, Finland.