This hermeneutic phenomenological study of 45 adults with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) examines the experience of recovery over 3 years. After a brief review of the results from the first two phases, this article reports the findings from the third phase of the recovery process. Five essential themes are identified: (1) reintegration in the community; (2) reintegration with family and friends; (3) reintegration with the case manager; (4) reintegration with oneself; (5) barriers to social inclusion. Findings highlight the unmet needs for consumers in their relationships with case managers and barriers to inclusion at the macro level. Implications for practice include the delineation of client and case manager tasks specific to each essential theme.

This article reports the results of a meta-analysis of the effects of victim offender mediation (VOM) on juvenile recidivism. Analyses were conducted on fifteen studies consisting of 9,172 juveniles in twenty-one service sites in the United States. Participation in VOM accounted for a 34 percent reduction in juvenile recidivism. Recommendations for methodological improvements in future research are discussed.

This mixed methods study examined the lived experience of African American persons recovering from serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) and assessed changes in demoralization, engulfment and coping over time. Psychological measures were administered and semi-structured interviews were conducted at three time points (6, 12, and 18 months) with nine African Americans with SPMI. Qualitative analysis was done from an Afrocentric perspective. The interviews were transcribed, read and coded to cluster thematic aspects in each case and across cases. Atlas-ti was used to recode transcripts and retrieve quotes to dimensionalize each essential theme. Four themes were identified: 1) striving for normalcy, 2) striving for a positive and proactive outlook, 3) mastering the challenges posed by mental illness, and 4) leaning on the supports that watch out for and over me. Paired t-tests were performed on the dependent variables of demoralization, coping, and engulfment. There was a significant change in reduction of

The relative and combined effects of individual characteristics, severity of illness, psychosocial functioning, treatment intensity, and milieu variables on self-esteem, distress and satisfaction with life were examined in a study of 103 subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, all of whom had been in either high-intensity or low-intensity community-based interventions for at least six months. Implications of the findings for treatment and for research on subjective experience in schizophrenia are discussed.