Recovery college as a transition space in the journey towards recovery: An Australian qualitative study

Abstract

Recovery colleges are formal learning programs that aim to support people with a lived experience of mental illness. In this study, we aimed to explore the experiences of participants in a pilot recovery college that opened in Adelaide, South Australia, in 2016. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted involving interviews with learners (n = 8) and focus groups with lived experience facilitators (course facilitators with a lived experience of mental illness, n = 5), Clinician facilitators (mental health service staff facilitators, n = 4), and care coordinators (staff providing case management support, n = 5). Three main themes (hope, identity, and the recovery college as a transition space) and two subthemes (recovery college experience and outcomes) were identified. The results showed that the recovery college provided a transition space for shifting learners' identities from patient to student, facilitated by the experiences and outcomes of the recovery college, providing hope for the future. This study highlights the importance of providing mentally healthy and non-stigmatizing learning environments to promote and cement recovery for people with a lived experience of mental illness. K E Y W O R D Slived experience, mental health, qualitative, recovery, recovery college

Impact of Recovery Colleges in Postsecondary Institutions in Canada – Preliminary Findings

“…Overall, the preliminary findings indicated that recovery college in postsecondary setting benefitted students through knowledge acquisition, improved mental health and wellbeing, and mental health service utilization. These findings are in keeping with existing studies that identify the effectiveness of recovery colleges in community settings (Bourne et al, 2018; Ebrahim et al, 2018; Kay & Edgley, 2019; Muir-Cochrane et al, 2019). Hopkins, and colleagues (2018) demonstrated promising results of a youth based recovery college in Australia, but the college did not include postsecondary students.…”

“…Many of the recovery colleges in North America and Europe are situated within mental health community services (Whitley et al, 2019) and were initially offered in person, in classrooms within the centers. The considerable amount of evidence on the efficacy of recovery colleges in mental health contexts (Bourne et al, 2018; Muir-Cochrane et al, 2019; Sommer et al, 2019; Toney et al, 2018; Wilson et al, 2019) has led to an exploration of their implementation in novel settings in Canada (i.e. those not embedded into mental health services and those devoted to special populations) – specifically, within the post-secondary school context.…”

Why Do People with Severe Mental Illness Have Poor Cardiovascular Health?—The Need for Implementing a Recovery-Based Self-Management Approach

“…There is also evidence for recovery-oriented models in improving the wellbeing of people with SMI [ 53 , 54 ]. Leamy’s personal recovery framework CHIME (Connectedness, Hope and optimism, Identity, Meaning, Empowerment) is one such model [ 55 ].…”

“…Personal recovery is another crucial arm of this proposed new framework. There is no doubt that the elements of CHIME [ 55 ] and other recovery models [ 54 ] play significant roles in motivating a person with SMI to initiate self-management and self-care. The same reasons also help sustain improved health behaviours in people with SMI.…”

Recovery colleges in mental health-care services: an Australian feasibility and acceptability study

“…At the heart of the recovery college model is a learning approach in which the process of co-production equalises the traditional power relationships in mental health services, bringing people from all walks of life together, as both students and experts. Recovery colleges link mental health recovery approaches with pedagogical principles (Muir-Cochrane et al, 2019). The colleges aim to assist participants to identify and achieve personal learning goals and to develop their own personal skills and knowledge.…”