Abstract
BackgroundThe aim of this study was to better understand early-stage mental health recovery experiences of people living with severe and persistent mental illness and complex needs.MethodsSemi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 people engaged in an Australian program specifically designed for people facing complex barriers to their recovery. Interview data were analysed thematically using constant comparative methods.ResultsParticipants described engaging with seven interconnecting aspects of early recovery: (1) engaging with the challenge of recovery; (2) struggling for a secure and stable footing; (3) grieving for what was and what could have been; (4) seeking and finding hope; (5) navigating complex relationships; (6) connecting with formal and informal support, and finally, (7) juggling a complexity of health issues.ConclusionsThis study illuminated the complexity of earlier-stage recovery which was characterised both by challenging personal circumstances and a hope for the future. It illustrated that even at an early point in their recovery journey, and amidst these challenging circumstances, people still actively engage with support, draw on inner strengths, source resources and find accomplishments. Stability and security was foundational to the ability of participants to draw on their own strengths and move forward. Stability came when material needs, including housing, were addressed, and an individual was able to connect with a supportive network of workers, carers, friends and family.
Highlights
The aim of this study was to better understand early-stage mental health recovery experiences of people living with severe and persistent mental illness and complex needs
While the language of personal recovery is visible across mental health policies, system guidelines and plans internationally (e.g., [8,9,10]), there remain challenges regarding the utility and relevance of dominant discourses and understandings of recovery across the diversity of experiences for those living with mental illness
Given that recovery and recovery-focused practice are increasingly prominent in policies and mental health service plans internationally [e.g., 8, 9, 10], it is important to ensure that this ‘paradigm’ is inclusive of and relevant to those at an earlier and more complex point of their recovery journey, and does not un-intentionally exclude them
Summary
The aim of this study was to better understand early-stage mental health recovery experiences of people living with severe and persistent mental illness and complex needs. A multitude of large, longitudinal studies evidence that at least a quarter of people living with severe and persistent mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, will recover in a curative or clinical sense [3]. Rather than this curative framing or understanding of recovery, mental health systems and policies internationally have adopted a different, personal or consumer-defined, understanding of recovery. While the language of personal recovery is visible across mental health policies, system guidelines and plans internationally (e.g., [8,9,10]), there remain challenges regarding the utility and relevance of dominant discourses and understandings of recovery across the diversity of experiences for those living with mental illness. It is argued that, without a more inclusive conceptualisation or model, recovery is not accessible or considered relevant or relatable to many individuals commencing their recovery journey, or to those supporting them [12, 13]
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