The rediscovery of recovery: open to all

Abstract

‘Recovery’ is usually taken as broadly equivalent to ‘getting back to normal’ or ‘cure’, and by these standards few people with severe mental illness recover. At the heart of the growing interest in recovery is a radical redefinition of what recovery means to those with severe mental health problems. Redefinition of recovery as a process of personal discovery, of how to live (and to live well) with enduring symptoms and vulnerabilities opens the possibility of recovery to all. The ‘recovery movement’ argues that this reconceptualisation is personally empowering, raising realistic hope for a better life alongside whatever remains of illness and vulnerability. This paper explores the background and defining features of the international recovery movement, its influence and impact on contemporary psychiatric practice, and steps towards developing recovery-based practice and services.

How is recovery from low back pain measured? A systematic review of the literature

“…The concept of 'recovery' from a disease or health condition is central to health care [80]. Within the low back pain (LBP) discipline, the concept of recovery is used in studies examining diagnosis [45], charting prognosis [44] and determining the effect of treatments [39].…”

“…For example in some studies the term is used synonymously with global improvement [92], in others with improvement on various indicators such as disability [16] and return to work [69]. There is also a fundamental consideration regarding the meaning of recovery; that being whether recovery requires return to a prior health state or whether attainment of a fulfilling and satisfying life within the limitations of the condition is enough [21,80]. The fact that LBP commonly follows an episodic or recurrent pattern [90] adds complexity to how recovery is conceptualised and measured.…”

A recovery journey for people with personality disorder

“…There is an assumption in recovery oriented care, that professionals and clients will pursue client-oriented goals together, but decisions about what services are delivered are usually controlled by providers. Roberts and Wolfson (2004) suggest that, in contrast with a patient struggling for cure, recovery depends much more on collaboration than on treatment. However, the skills, knowledge and commitment that professionals can bring to the recovery process, while valuing and learning from the client, are important too.…”

What does recovery mean for me? Perspectives of Canadian mental health consumers.

“…Clinical recovery, measured through outcome studies and expressed as approximation to cure, remains an important perspective in mental health (Harding, Brooks, Ashikaga, Strauss, & Breier, 1987a, 1987bHarding, Zubin, & Strauss, 1992;Roberts & Wolfson, 2004). Liberman & Kopelowicz (2005) argued that "subjective attributes" of recovering are closely linked to symptomatic and functional improvement, adding that definitions of recovery in mental illness, need to include notions such as "remission", "relapse", and "entry and exit into the states of recovery".…”