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Open Dialogue (OD) is a needs-based, service-user initiated approach to mental health service delivery that emphasises dialogue, and shared understanding between service users, and their support network. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of being part of an OD-informed mental health service in Ireland. Data were collected through semi-structured group interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Three primary themes were identified across the data set namely: diversity across practice; unpacking the taken-for-granted and mental health as shared experiences. Participants experienced enhanced communication, improved relationships with mental health staff and developed shared understandings of mental health. This small-scale implementation demonstrates the received value for service users and their networks of an OD-informed approach within a traditional care pathway. As a relational and collaborative way of working, it requires a shift in clinical practice for mental health staff and service users that is experienced as a welcome change from treatment-as-usual (TAU). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of recovery has become central to international mental health policy and service planning. At present there, however, is no unified theory of mental health recovery available to guide clinical practice. The aim of this study was to develop a coherent theory of recovering from mental health problems from the point of view of those recovering in Ireland. The study was guided by classic grounded theory and based on individual interviews with 32 volunteers who had experienced mental health problems. The participants' main concern was identified as striving to reconnect with life. The core category of reconnecting with life had three interactive subcategories: (1) reconnecting with self through accepting oneself as a worthy human being capable of positive change; (2) reconnecting with others through accepting and validating interaction; (3) reconnecting with time, through getting a glimpse of positive future, coming to terms with the past, and actively shaping and executing one's present and future. The study shows that accepting, validating and the hope-instilling interaction can facilitate the process of reconnecting with life and is, therefore, crucial for recovery-oriented care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]