This study explored the role of work in the recovery of employed and unemployed persons with psychiatric disabilities. Fourteen persons with psychiatric disabilities participated in semi-structured interviews. Content analysis revealed that the experience of recovery was based on six major dimensions: self-definition, empowerment, connections to others, meaning of work, vocational future, and meaning of recovery. Differences in these six dimensions led to the identification of three profiles of recovery: recovery as uncertain, recovery as a self-empowering experience, and recovery as a challenging experience. Each profile described a specific context in which participation in work or avoidance of work can be understood and vocational interventions can be designed.

No abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose that the study, and the promotion, of recovery can be augmented by adopting the model of mental health as a complete state.Design/methodology/approachA literature review of the last two decades was undertaken and pathways to complete mental health in recovery are proposed.FindingsMore work is needed to further develop interventions oriented towards the promotion of positive mental health in recovery, targeting the enhancement of positive emotions towards life and a sense of fulfillment in private and social life. Positive mental health also deserves more research attention to assess the full range of recovery outcomes related to the restoration and optimization processes. A better understanding of individual and environmental factors facilitating or hindering the achievement of complete mental health in recovery is warranted as well.Originality/valueUnlike previous conceptions, the model presented in the paper proposes to redefine recovery from the complete view of mental health and introduces positive mental health as an additional outcome of recovery.

The objective of this study was to explore the meaning of recovery from the perspectives of consumers receiving mental health services in Canada. Methods: Sixty semi-structured interviews were conducted with 54 mental health consumers in Montreal, Québec City and Waterloo-Guelph, Ontario. Results: Two contrasting meanings of recovery emerged. The first definition strongly attached recovery to illness while the second definition linked recovery to self-determination and taking responsibility for life. Conclusions: The prominence of biomedical definitions of recovery suggests the need to find common ground between these two perspectives, if conceptualizations of recovery are to include the views of consumers who routinely experience the mental health system.

The objective of this study is to examine the relative contribution of three main factors (characteristics of services and service providers, characteristics of patients and caregivers, and impact of psychiatric illness) to caregiver satisfaction with services. Results of this study are based on the responses of 154 family caregivers of individuals with mental illnesses in Quebec, and indicate that these aspects play a predictive role in caregiver satisfaction with services. A multiple regression model explained 42% of the variance in satisfaction. Collaboration with professionals is the key determinant in the model, as it contributes more than any other variable to satisfaction. Results demonstrate the importance of obtaining a better understanding of caregivers' satisfaction with services in order to increase their involvement in community integration.

Mood and anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental disorders. People with such disorders implement self-management strategies to reduce or prevent their symptoms and to optimize their health and well-being. Even though self-management strategies are known to be essential to recovery, few researchers have examined them. The aim of this study is to explore strategies used by people recovering from depressive, anxiety, and bipolar disorders by asking 50 of them to describe their own strategies. Strategies were classified according to dimensions of recovery: social, existential, functional, physical, and clinical. Within these themes, 60 distinct strategies were found to be used synergistically to promote personal recovery as well as symptom reduction. Findings highlight the diversity of strategies used by people, whether they have depressive, anxiety, or bipolar disorders. This study underscores the importance of supporting self-management in a way that respects individual experience.

This study prospectively assessed the preferences and satisfaction of 98 psychiatric inpatients and 40 of their relatives with family involvement in discharge planning. Preferences questionnaires were administered during hospitalization. Satisfaction questionnaires were completed 3 months later. Preferences noted by most participants included information concerning patient health status, ways to prevent further hospitalizations, services for relatives, and signs of patient decompensation. More relatives than patients felt that post-discharge residence and activities were important areas to be involved in. Most participants were satisfied if relatives were involved in discharge planning. However, up to 89% of patients, and 84% of relatives, reported no communication between clinical staff and relatives regarding discharge. When this was the case, satisfaction rates dropped sharply, especially for relatives. The need for increased communication between clinicians and relatives regarding discharge planning remains a problem.

The purpose of the study was to determine the relationships of primary and secondary stressors, and informal and formal supports, to psychological distress in 154 family caregivers of persons with psychiatric disabilities. All caregivers were members of self-help groups located in the Province of Quebec in Canada. Psychological distress was significantly lower among older caregivers, those working full time, and those experiencing lower objective and subjective burdens. Contrary to the hypotheses, caregivers who perceived more support from friends and had more contacts with their relatives' primary mental health providers experienced a higher level of psychological distress.