What Does Recovery Mean in Practice? A Qualitative Analysis of International Recovery-Oriented Practice Guidance

Abstract

A key challenge for mental health services is the lack of clarity about what constitutes recovery-oriented practice. The conceptual framework contributes to this knowledge gap and provides a synthesis of recovery-oriented practice guidance.

Service Users Experience of Peer Support in Swedish Mental Health Care: A “Tipping Point” in the Care-Giving Culture?

“…While a medical paradigm still dominates much of traditional mental health care, a focus on recovery-focused practice is now developing together with an increased emphasis on user involvement in psychiatric care [20]. In describing the components of a recovery-oriented practice or system, a system of services that can contribute to and support the individual's own possibilities for recovery, LeBoutillier et al [21] stress; working relationships with professionals built on partnership and hope, a holistic, strengths-based focus that can help the individual to develop their own recovery goals, organisational commitment (to creating structures and environments that support recovery) and the promotion of citizenship, social integration and participation. The concept of a recovery-oriented system includes therefore the quality of the individual relationships between users and program staff, the caring environment itself as a contributing factor and the overall focus on hopefulness for and possibilities of becoming a participatory member of the community.…”

Patients’ subjective perspective on recovery orientation on an acute psychiatric unit

“…From the perspective of professionals in mental health care, there is still a considerable lack of clarity about what constitutes recoveryoriented services (6). A recent review of qualitative studies proposed an overarching framework to transform mental health services towards recovery-orientation (7). The authors suggested four practice domains in order to summarize the 16 dominant themes identified in the review: organizational commitment, promoting citizenship, supporting personally defined recovery, and working relationship.…”

“…The authors suggested four practice domains in order to summarize the 16 dominant themes identified in the review: organizational commitment, promoting citizenship, supporting personally defined recovery, and working relationship. While the first two dimensions comprise institutional attitudes, concepts, and therapeutic interventions, the latter domains focus on the therapeutic attitude towards psychiatric patients, and in particular on patient individuality, informed choice, focusing on strengths, partnership, inspiring hope, and holistic approach (7).…”

Recovery After Psychosis: Qualitative Study of Service User Experiences of Lived Experience Videos on a Recovery-Oriented Website (Preprint)

“…Based on an extensive narrative review and synthesis of literature about recovery, Leamy et al [8] summarise recovery as being an active, individual and non-linear journey that may occur in phases and is influenced by five recovery processes: connectedness, hope, identity, meaning and empowerment, for which the acronym CHIME was chosen. Recovery-oriented practices that support these processes are now expected of mental health services and practitioners working with consumers of mental health services [9][10][11]. Ways of promoting recovery may include supporting consumers to self-manage their mental health [12], offering peer support [13] and fostering recovery-promoting relationships between health professionals and consumers [14].…”