"It Had Only Been a Matter of Time Before I Had Relapsed Into Crime": Aspects of Care and Personal Recovery in Forensic Mental Health.

Abstract

Forensic psychiatry has the dual task of focusing on the prevention of reoffending as well as maintaining psychiatric rehabilitation. No previous studies addressing the patients' own views on reducing their risk of serious reoffending were found. This study describes forensic psychiatric inpatients' own views on what aspects of care and personal recovery are important in reducing their risk of serious reoffending. A structured qualitative approach was used. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and analyzed with a systematic qualitative content analysis. The results highlight aspects of care and personal recovery. Four themes emerged: "time: opportunity for change," "trust: creating a context with meaningful relations," "hope: to reach a future goal," and "toolbox: tools needed for recovery." The themes present with a continuum. At one end, there are patients who appreciated possibilities to participate actively in care and treatment. At the other end, patients felt they had no use for their care. Interestingly, although patients in our study were asked for their opinion on how they could reduce their dangerousness, all themes fit into established personal recovery processes found in general psychiatric populations. The theme "time: opportunity for change" seems to have an overarching importance. By understanding the specific content along these themes, relevant to the individual patient, carers may be able to better support their personal recovery journey. Because time spent as inpatients in forensic psychiatry is an overarching issue, carers need to be persistent over time.