Abstract
BackgroundRecovery-oriented practice is recommended in services for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Understanding practitioners’ perceptions of recovery-oriented services may be a key component of implementing recovery principles in day-to-day practice. This study explores and describes staff experiences with dilemmas in recovery-oriented practice to support people with co-occurring disorders.MethodsThree focus group interviews were carried out over the course of 2 years with practitioners in a Norwegian community mental health and addictions team that was committed to developing recovery-oriented services. Thematic analysis was applied to yield descriptions of staff experiences with dilemmas in recovery-oriented practice.ResultsThree dilemmas were described: (1) balancing mastery and helplessness, (2) balancing directiveness and a non-judgmental attitude, and (3) balancing total abstinence and the acceptance of substance use.ConclusionsInnovative approaches to practice development that address the inherent dilemmas in recovery-oriented practice to support people with co-occurring disorders are called for.
Highlights
Recovery-oriented practice is recommended in services for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders
The aim of this study is to explore and describe staff experiences of dilemmas in recovery-oriented community practice to support people with co-occurring disorders in a Norwegian context
As a tool for this, feedback informed treatment (FIT) was implemented in the services, which is a method for systematically getting feedback from the client on how the alliance and progress of treatment is experienced, and adjust interventions according to this [22]
Summary
Recovery-oriented practice is recommended in services for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. This study explores and describes staff experiences with dilemmas in recovery-oriented practice to support people with co-occurring disorders. Recovery-orientation is increasingly recommended in practice guidelines for community mental health and addiction services across countries [1]. An understanding of recovery as a personal and social process that surpasses symptom reduction is increasingly accepted in the fields of mental health and substance use [2,3,4]. Recovery-oriented practices have been defined in different ways across countries and services. One such definition is that they “identify and incorporate a person’s. Norwegian health authorities recommend that “the person’s own resources should be supported throughout treatment in a way that leads to an improved quality of life” [11]
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