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This article uses data from a doctoral thesis concerning service users' views on what works for them in relation to their mental health wellness following a suicidal ideation/attempt in Aotearoa New Zealand. In particular, it focuses on the experiences of service users regarding mental health crisis team responses and what they wanted from their crisis teams specifically. Participants indicated that what they wanted was to feel heard, respected and not judged, consistent with the core conditions of therapeutic alliance within such professions as social work, counselling and psychology. Social work has a valuable role to play in emphasising and advocating for social, contextual and non-medical responses within crisis teams and service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study considers how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted individuals recovering from a substance use disorder (SUD). Method: Fifty individuals recovering from SUD in Vermont, a rural New England state (U.S.), were recruited for an interview from 12-step recovery meetings (Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous) as well as via word-of-mouth. Interviews were transcribed and coded, and qualitative analyses were performed. Results: Many of the participants who were in recovery prior to the pandemic starting remained substance-free and in recovery throughout the pandemic period. Some individuals used substances during the pandemic period, although not typically in the context of a relapse caused by negative emotions (eg, distress over a loved one contracting COVID-19). The majority of those individuals indicated that the risk of catching COVID-19 did not alter their substance use. Conclusions: Many individuals already in SUD recovery before COVID-19 remained in recovery despite the challenges of pandemic era. The role of peer support in recovering individuals managing negative emotions caused by COVID-19 is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eating disorders are as common in Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa-New Zealand, as they are in non-Māori; however, research has focused on the experiences of non-Māori. This paper will describe explanatory factors, treatment experiences and what helps with recovery for Māori. Methods: Kaupapa Māori research methodology informed the methods and analysis. Fifteen semi-structured interviews comprised thirteen Māori participants with eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder) and two whānau (support network) members. A thematic analysis was undertaken by a first cycle of coding that used deductive structural coding to identify data describing participants' perceived causes of eating disorders, their experience of treatment and recovery. A second cycle of coding used inductive analysis with descriptive and pattern coding. Results: Three overarching themes were antecedents (cumulative exposure), treatment (a system of complexities) and recovery (resource empowerment). Antecedents comprised cumulative exposure to body and sporting ideals and adversity as causal factors of eating disorders. In the treatment theme, a system of complexities critiqued rural settings for generalised mental health services, allocation of Māori cultural support, the economic burden of treatment, culturally incongruent treatment (methods, values) and a weight-focused discharge criterion. Recovery (resource empowerment) found appropriate health information, self-determination and connection to Māori culture and whānau aspirations helped with recovery. Conclusion: The diversity of birdcalls reminds us of the individuality of eating disorders. Health practitioners are reminded that just as the Tūī, Kākā and Kererū possess their own unique birdcalls, so do Māori with eating disorders and their whānau have their own experiences, needs and required treatment responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses a narrative approach to explore the experiences of adults in the oldest stage of old age after they suffered a hip fracture. The focus was on participants' perceptions and descriptions of the traumatic event, the recovery process, and the impact of the fracture on their lives. The study had a longitudinal design and included interviews with 10 participants (mean age 89) who had suffered hip fractures. Up to three semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the participants (a total of 27 interviews) over a 3-month period. The first interviews were at the hospital, the second at municipal rehabilitation facilities, and the third at the participants' homes. The material was analysed by means of narrative analysis. The results show how the incident affected the participants' active and meaningful lives and how they seemed to mobilise their resources and motivation to train and recover to be able to come back home and resume the life they had before the hip fracture. The study provides nuances in the understanding of how a hip fracture can impact lives in old age. The stories emphasise the resources and capacity for resilience elderly people can possess and the importance of listening to the individual life stories, situation, personal goals, and needs when planning services for elderly people recovering from a hip fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current emphasis among addiction treatment providers is to use person-first language, such as "a person with a substance use disorder," as a way to reduce stigma around addiction and resulting barriers to treatment. This study considers how individuals recovering from substance use feel about the terms "alcoholic" and "addict," particularly how they self-identify and whether they believe the terms carry stigma. Method: Thirty-five individuals were interviewed, recruited primarily, but not exclusively, from 12-step meetings (Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous), from 3 locations throughout a rural New England state. Interviews were transcribed and coded in Atlas Ti qualitative analysis software, and a content analysis of text coded with "stigma" was conducted. Results: Some comments reflected a belief that the terms "addict" and "alcoholic" carry a stigma. However, more comments rejected the notion of these being stigmatized terms; or acknowledged the stigma but reflected the subject's lack of internalizing of any stigma. Comments reflected other themes including a sense of pride, identity and ownership when self-identifying as an addict or alcoholic. Several comments suggested that person-first language is part of a larger movement to "soften everything," without changing the underlying condition (addiction). The findings may reflect the fact that subjects were recruited from 12-step programs, where the convention is to self-identity using the terms "alcoholic" and/or "addict." Conclusions: Some individuals seeking treatment for addiction may prefer self-identifying using old-school terminology (addict, alcoholic) rather than person-first language, for a variety of reasons (eg, they do not internalize the stigma of such terms). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a well-established literature examining how perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA) neutralise the norms and beliefs that ordinarily prohibit such behaviours. However, there has been substantially less focus on how such techniques of neutralisation might also be applied by people and groups who were not directly involved in the abuse, who we might expect to be more supportive. Drawing on a thematic analysis of an open-ended survey (n=140) and semi-structured interviews (n=21) with adults who experienced childhood sexual abuse this paper examines societal responses to disclosure. Identifying three key techniques of neutralisation, it explores how families, professionals and institutions use wider discourses that deny the victim/survivor, deny or minimise harm and silence by appealing to loyalty. The results demonstrate how significant others can constrain, rather than support, the process of disclosure and recovering from CSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Those who experience parental domestic abuse in childhood are affected in multiple ways, but existing research uses a narrow lens, relying on psychotherapeutic and neuroscientific understandings. This article uses a dialogical theory to explore women's recovery stories. Interviews were conducted with 10 women in England and a voice-centered narrative analysis was used. This article attends to gendered, psychotherapeutic, and neoliberal narrative resources that shaped participants' stories. It concludes that recoveries after domestic abuse in childhood can be considered as dynamic processes that are individual, as well as shaped by social, political, and relational contexts that shape storytelling practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The resilience of nursing students has a positive impact on their wellbeing and completion of courses, especially during pandemics like Covid-19. However, research on resilience factors among nursing students is limited to India. Aim: This qualitative study aimed to explore senior nursing students' perceptions of resilience factors in recovery from Covid-19 infection. Methods: The virtual focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among final year undergraduate nursing students at a tertiary care center. We used an interview guide with semi-structured questions to collect the data. Results: A narrative content analysis revealed four dominant themes: experiences and concerns while caring for patients with Covid-19 infection (subtheme: lack of adequate knowledge and skills, support by clinical preceptors, inadequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, fear of acquiring and spreading of Covid-19 infection to friends and other patients), reactions to Covid-19 infection (subtheme: anxiety, fear of rejection, academic worries, and uncertainty of illness), resilience (subtheme: support by seniors, teachers, friends, family support, positive self-concept, relaxation techniques, and organization support), and willingness to serve patients with Covid-19 infection (subtheme: professional responsibility, personal experiences, role models, and supportive working environment). Conclusions: The findings suggest that it is crucial to prepare nursing students for adversity through resilience training. Further, studies that develop and evaluate effective strategies to promote resilience among nursing students are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To understand if supported accommodations (SA) are promoting the recovery of people with serious mental disorders, quality of life (QoL) is an important outcome. This study aimed to analyse the association between QoL and experiences of care in general and to identify specific experiences of care that are associated with QoL in users of SA. Methods: A random sample of users of 42 SA was interviewed to obtain standardized measures of QoL and personal experiences of care. The sample was also characterized according to sociodemographic and clinical aspects. Linear regressions models analysed the association between QoL and experiences of care, adjusting for potential confounders. Results include estimated regression coefficients, corresponding 95% confidence intervals and p-values. Results: The number of users interviewed was 272. The median QoL was 4.9 (2.3–6.8) out of 7. Although 84.9% of users were satisfied with the care received, only 16.2% felt involved in their treatment. Feeling safe (β =.73; 95% CI [0.22–1.24], p =.006) and having privacy (β =.42; 95% CI [0.09–0.75], p =.014) influenced QoL. Involvement in care (β =.44; 95% CI [0.13–0.74], p =.006), safety and privacy (β =.72; 95% CI [0.44–0.99], p = 8.38e-07) and user-professional relationship (β =.42; 95% CI [0.14–0.69], p =.003) were also associated with QoL. Conclusions: Feeling safe, having privacy, feeling involved in care and having good user-professional relationships influence the QoL of users. These findings have implications from the political and economic level to the organizational and individual levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively few studies have explicitly examined whether and how shelter-type, temporary or emergency accommodation shapes homeless clients' personal (mental health) recovery. A transatlantic phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to examine the influence of those services on personal recovery. Eighteen chronically homeless adults with a history of serious mental illness were recruited from several temporary accommodation services in New York City (NYC), U.S., and Glasgow, Scotland. Participants completed repeat in-depth interviews and a novel one-week multimedia mobile phone diary. The interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) produced three overarching group experiential themes: ' everything was just starting to fall into place'; 'caught in a trap' ; and ' trials and tribulations '. Collectively, the findings underscore the duality of influence of temporary accommodation on recovery. Those ambiguous spaces confronted participants with existential uncertainty, volatility and chronic boredom, but also proffered opportunities for envisioning and enacting recovery. Embarking on recovery while residing in temporary accommodation is possible, even for those enduring chronic life adversity. However, it is contingent upon enabling socio-material, affective and relational resources. Implications are discussed for theorising recovery as a contextually embedded, relational phenomenon, and for providing recovery-oriented support across the housing continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine the process of surviving child abuse in people with a mental illness in order to develop an explanatory theory. The study utilized the grounded theory approach. Seventeen community-dwelling adults with a mental illness who had experienced child abuse were interviewed. For the in-depth interview, the lifeline interview method was used. Data were collected from July 14, 2019, to February 28, 2020. The constant comparative method was used for analysis, to identify similarities and differences between different statements, and similar phenomena or theories were compared and analyzed continuously. The central phenomena were "losing oneself" and "in a precarious state." Participants used "expressing," "standing on one's own feet," and "avoiding" as coping strategies. Observed outcomes were "making life work for them" and "living with others." The core category was "losing myself, embracing myself as someone in a precarious state, and being reborn as the master of my life." Positive religious coping, having a supportive network, and emotional or physical distance from difficult situations played a major role in surviving participants' experiences of child abuse and being victimized because of their mental illness. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding people with mental illness who have survived child abuse, and suggest that opportunities for sharing their stories, facilitating self-reliance, and avoiding the causes of their difficulties all play a role in their healing process. Based on this study, it is expected that clinical experts and policy developers will be able to formulate evidence-based interventions and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health 'recovery narratives' are increasingly used within teaching, learning and practice environments. The mainstreaming of their use has been critiqued by scholars and activists as a co-option of lived experience for organisational purposes. But how people report their experiences of telling their stories has not been investigated at scale. We present accounts from 71 people with lived experience of multiple inequalities of telling their stories in formal and informal settings. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted within a critical constructivist approach. Our overarching finding was that questions of power were central to all accounts. Four themes were identified: (1) Challenging the status quo; (2) Risky consequences; (3) Producing 'acceptable' stories; (4) Untellable stories. We discuss how the concept of narrative power foregrounds inequalities in settings within which recovery stories are invited and co-constructed, and conclude that power imbalances complicate the seemingly benign act of telling stories of lived experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The lack of social and material perspectives in descriptions of recovery processes is almost common in recovery research. Aim: Consequently, we investigated recovery stories and how people with mental health and/or addiction challenges included social and material aspects in these stories. Method: We conducted focus group and individual interviews. We investigated how the participants narrated their stories and how they assembled places and people in their recovery stories. Results: We found that narratives of recovery became assemblages where humans and their environments co-exist and are interdependent. Conclusion: As such, narratives about recovery are about everyday assemblages of well-being into which stories of insecurity are interwoven, without a start or stop point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ablation procedures are common for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), yet evidence is limited about patient perceptions of their recovery following ablation. We sought to expand understanding of this recovery process. Twenty participants undergoing their first AF ablation completed semi-structured interviews prior to ablation (baseline) and at one, three, and six months post AF ablation. Pre-procedure education is modeled after education used for other ablation procedures, preparing patients to expect a single recovery trajectory. We identified two recovery trajectories that varied in speed of symptom resolution: sustained improvement and pseudo improvement. Recovery was slower than expected in both trajectories. Moreover, returning to desired activity levels consistently lagged behind other symptom resolution by approximately two months. A more accurate understanding of what patients experience post-ablation, as illustrated in these findings, serves as a beginning step to alter patient education prior to AF ablation to better prepare individuals for the recovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the complex issue of the embodiment of grief. It explores how a theoretical shift to the body has influenced scholarly literature about grief and bereavement. Despite this shift, we argue that bodily interpretations and experiences are undertheorised in western psychological literature on bereavement. Specifically, we argue that linear stage models of grief have encouraged the view that grief needs 'working through' in the mind, and not necessarily the body. We draw on empirical data from interviews with bereaved people undertaken in England to illustrate aspects of the embodied experience of grief that differ from how psychological grief theories conceive of the bereaved person's body. Findings highlight the role of the bereaved person's body in managing grief and how the absence and continuing presence of the deceased person is managed through embodied practices. We conclude that understanding grief as an embodied experience can enable the development of grief theories that better capture the complex negotiation between the psychological processes of grief and the materiality of bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This current study explored the lived experiences of patients with long-term cognitive sequelae after recovering from COVID-19. A qualitative design with in-depth interviews and an analysis inspired by Ricoeur's interpretation theory was utilised. Contracting COVID-19 and suffering long-term sequelae presented as a life-altering event with significant consequences for one's social, psychological and vocational being in the world in the months following the infection. Patients living with long-term cognitive sequelae after COVID-19 were in an unknown life situation characterised by feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and concerns about the future, significantly disrupting their life trajectory and forcing them to change their ways of life. While awaiting studies on treatment, symptom management and recovery after persistent sequelae of COVID-19, clinicians and researchers may find inspiration in experiences of other health conditions with similar phenomenology, such as ME/chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic headaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Recovering from bulimia nervosa challenges a person to learn, revise, and do occupations that contribute to rather than detract from health. This study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to (a) explore the recovery experiences of six adult women with histories of bulimia nervosa and (b) interpret how their accounts reflected the assumptions and characteristics of occupation. Methods: Data were collected via audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews. Data analysis within and between cases identified six superordinate themes, which included interpretation in terms of criteria of occupation. Findings: Superordinate themes reflect (1) occupation emerged in recovering from bulimia nervosa through committed action, not doing what fueled bulimia nervosa, adopting new ways of living, prioritizing self-care, connecting with others, and creating supportive environments and (2) recovery from bulimia nervosa can be construed as an occupation. Conclusion: This study provides insight into nuances of recovery from bulimia nervosa. Results offer novel implications distinct to an occupational therapy lens, for example, consideration of self-care beyond eating and meal preparation; modification of the home, work, and social environment; and setting goals associated with not doing versus doing. Further, the interpretative finding of recovery as occupation holds implications for the evolving philosophical considerations within occupational science and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer support in substance use recovery assists individuals who seek long-term recovery by establishing supportive and reciprocal relationships that support the initiation and maintenance of recovery. Prior research has found that peer support workers provide essential services to individuals in recovery, while the experience of the peer and their integration into a system of care has yet to be fully explored. This qualitative study explored the peer worker's experience as a provider of recovery support services in a system of care. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 peer support workers. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using qualitative data analysis software. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes and patterns inductively from the data. Peer support worker experiences included challenges establishing credibility, frustrations in managing systemic barriers, a lack of understanding as to what the role of peer worker entails by stakeholders, and skepticism from other providers about the value of the position. Positive experiences included a decrease in the perception of stigma about substance use and feeling valued. Supervision played a key role in the success of the peer worker role, with concerns related to supervisors who are not in recovery. This study highlighted improvements in the integration of peer support workers in systems of care and regard for the role by professionals. A widespread understanding of the role and scope of practice is lacking and a need for better support for the role through avenues such as training, and supervision exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forgiveness is known to play an important role in recovery studies of female intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors. However, survivors' understanding of forgiveness remains unclear. This study explored forgiveness through semi-structured interviews with 25 Chinese women. The results indicate that forgiveness is an unintended process that comprises the alleviation of a grudge held against former partners and a reframed understanding of them. It does not involve reconciliation. Moreover, establishment of clear boundaries is a precondition for forgiveness. The findings supplement knowledge on forgiveness and the importance of cognitive reframing, emotion regulation, and establishing clear boundaries in forgiveness and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the "5.12" 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, disaster social work has been developing gradually in mainland China. This study evaluated a university-led, project-based social work intervention following the "8.12" 2015 Tianjin explosion disaster. Document analysis, participant observation, and in-depth individual interview methods were used. Three types of interviewees (N = 14) recruited via purposive sampling participated in semistructured interviews. According to the evaluative framework of trauma-informed social work for the old population, the social work intervention achieved the connectedness dimension of recovery of target population and partially satisfied the meaning, hope and empowerment demand. Nevertheless, the safety, identity and continuity dimensions of recovery were lack and the meaning dimension was weak. Discussion and implications for future disaster social work were summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Canadian occupational therapists are employed as case managers on assertive community treatment (ACT) teams to support community living for individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses. In this position, occupational therapists act primarily as generalists, typically attending appointments with clients, supervising medication adherence, supporting basic living needs, and managing client crises. Occupational therapists may also provide psychotherapy and coping skill groups, as well as profession-specific practices, such as skills training. Exploring how ACT occupational therapists describe their perceived ideal practice may support transformation in long-standing, occupational therapy practices on ACT teams. Method: This qualitative, interpretive description study involved 11 Canadian ACT team occupational therapists in one individual, semi-structured in-depth interview using an interview guide containing open-ended questions. Interview transcripts were analyzed to identify themes pertaining to therapists' descriptions of their perceived ideal occupational therapy practice on ACT teams. Results: Three themes emerged: (a) Engaging in practice "with intention"; (b) Finding the space for occupational therapy practice; and (c) Supporting clients in their recovery to find their best occupational self. Conclusions: The findings highlight practice possibilities for occupational therapist working on ACT teams and provide a foundation for advocating for better use of specific occupational therapy practices within community mental health settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Occupational therapy has long had a strong presence in military mental healthcare. Today's veterans have complex needs and can face challenges reintegrating into civilian life. This exploratory study investigated whether veterans receiving mental health treatment who participated in a bespoke occupational therapy and resilience workshop intervention improved their perceived participation in everyday life. Method: An interpretivist hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to explore veterans' perspectives. Ten participants took part in two semistructured focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to identify and analyse patterns within the data. Findings: Most participants developed occupational goals and started to make lifestyle changes; participants developed an appreciation of the value of occupation; participants developed insight into their recovery journeys; and value was placed on the 'healing power' of the group. Conclusion: This exploratory study provides preliminary evidence to suggest occupational therapy was influential in helping participants understand the impact of occupation on health and start making lifestyle changes. Participants also reflected on their recovery journeys. The benefits of doing this within a group environment appear to have been particularly therapeutic. Original occupational therapy research in this specialism is sparse. This novel study provides insight that can further discussion and enhance understanding about what the profession can offer this client group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There is a dearth of longitudinal data on outcomes in prevalent cases of psychotic illness across a range of ages and levels of chronicity. Our aim was to describe changes over time in mental and physical health outcomes, as well as patterns of service utilisation that may have influenced outcomes, in a representative prevalence sample of 641 Western Australians with a psychotic illness who, at Wave 1, were part of the National Survey of High Impact Psychosis. Methods: In Wave 1 (2010, 2012), a two-phase design was employed to ensure representativeness: Phase 1 psychosis screening took place in public mental health and non-government organisation services, while, in Phase 2, a randomised sample was interviewed. In Wave 2, 380/641 (59%) of participants were re-interviewed, with interviews staggered between 2013 and 2016 (follow-up time: 2.3–5.6 years). Data collection covered mental and physical health, functioning, cognition, social circumstances and service utilisation. Mental health outcomes were categorised as symptomatic, functional and personal recovery. Physical health outcomes covered metabolic syndrome and its component criteria. Results: In mental health, there were encouraging improvements in symptom profiles, variable change in functional recovery and some positive findings for personal recovery, but not quality of life. Participants ranked physical health second among challenges. Metabolic syndrome had increased significantly. While treatment for underlying cardiovascular risk conditions had improved, rates of intervention were still very low. More people were accessing general practices and more frequently, but there were sharp and significant declines in access to community rehabilitation, psychosocial interventions and case management. Conclusion: Although we observed some positive outcomes over time, the sharp decline in access to evidence-based interventions such as community rehabilitation, psychosocial interventions and case management is of great concern and augurs poorly for recovery-oriented practice. Changes in service utilisation appear to have influenced the patterns found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore the affective-discursive-material aspects of the supportive eating disorder recovery assemblage. We approach recovery as an "assemblage" to facilitate an understanding of how human (people, systems of care, etc.) and nonhuman (affect, discourses, etc.) forces generate possibilities or impossibilities for recovery. Moving away from framings of recovery as an individual achievement, we consider the relationality and dynamism of eating disorder recovery in interviews with 20 people in recovery and 14 supporters of people in recovery. We draw from experiential accounts to theorize a supportive eating disorder recovery assemblage in relation to trust and love mobilized in interactions and relationships. This supportive eating disorder recovery assemblage can scaffold new understandings of recoveries as multiple and co-produced. Supportive eating disorder recovery assemblages generate improvisational spaces, albeit loosely contained and bounded, for different pathways to and manifestations of "recoveries". This work builds on a body of feminist scholarship on eating disorders/disordered eating that takes up gendered relationships of power in treatment settings, extending toward and analysing material, affective, embodied, and potentially affirming dimensions of care and emotion in participants' lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate how adults with serious mental illness learn and utilize an illness self-management framework for pursuing recovery through a program called Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP). The researchers employed an interpretive descriptive methodology with thematic analysis. Data were collected from three focus groups (n = 26) and in-depth interviews with follow-up member checks with 10 participants (n = 20 interviews). Findings aligned with main constructs of self-determination theory (SDT) to explain how an autonomy-supportive environment created opportunities for participants to build competency, implementing personalized recovery strategies that are socially endorsed by peers, resulting in internalized motivation for continued application of WRAP's framework. SDT appears to explain mechanisms of change for WRAP. Recommendations for mental health organizations include broadly ensuring autonomy-supportive environments and services that maximize opportunities to build competence in recovery strategies in collaboration with peers. Future research may utilize SDT as the theoretical basis for investigating self-management programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about what recovery means to those with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, a poorly understood, disabling chronic health condition. To explore this issue, semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients reporting improvement (n = 9) and deterioration (n = 10) after a guided self-help intervention, and analyzed via "constant comparison." The meaning of recovery differed between participants—expectations for improvement and deployment of the sick role (and associated stigma) were key influences. While some saw recovery as complete freedom from symptoms, many defined it as freedom from the "sick role," with functionality prioritized. Others redefined recovery, reluctant to return to the lifestyle that may have contributed to their illness, or rejected the concept as unhelpful. Recovery is not always about eliminating all symptoms. Rather, it is a nexus between the reality of limited opportunities for full recovery, yet a strong desire to leave the illness behind and regain a sense of "normality." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of therapeutic change processes in group therapy for complex interpersonal trauma has been limited. The present study aimed at addressing this gap by developing a framework of therapeutic change in this field from a survivor and therapist perspective. This is a qualitative study, which utilized semistructured individual interviews. Transcripts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to identify recurrent themes. A final sample of n = 16 patients and n = 5 facilitators completed the interview. Main change processes identified by survivors were as follows: self versus others, trust versus threat, confrontation versus avoidance, and "patching up" versus true healing. Therapeutic processes identified by therapist facilitators included managing group dynamics, unpredictability and uncertainty, and process versus content. The proposed framework explains therapeutic change in group therapy in relational terms, that is, therapeutic dissonance, the dynamic interaction of self and experience as well as building empathic trusting relations. The importance of managing dissonance to aid personally meaningful recovery was highlighted. These findings have implications for the usefulness of relational and person-centered approaches to clinical practice in the area of interpersonal and complex trauma, especially in the early identification, prevention, and management of dropouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A range of health and social services exist to address the many life adversities experienced by people with mental illness. However, the effects of services on their recovery in the context of ongoing homelessness and poverty have been minimally examined. Aims: This qualitative study sought to better understand the role of health and social services in the recovery processes of people with mental illness and histories of homelessness. Similarities and differences in the perceived impacts of services on recovery between currently and formerly homeless participants were also explored. Method: In-depth interviews were conducted with 52 currently and formerly homeless people with mental illness. Informed by a recovery framework, qualitative data were analyzed using two cycles of coding. Results: Services were perceived to affect recovery by (1) finding ways to cope and get by, (2) feeling less alone, (3) giving back, (4) being dehumanized or seen as someone and (5) encountering restrictions when getting help. Experiences of discrimination, fewer opportunities to give back and limited service options were heightened among participants experiencing homelessness compared to the housed group. Conclusion: Health and social services can promote and hinder recovery among currently and formerly homeless people with mental illness. Despite several differences between the two groups, the relationship between recovery and service use was similar for currently and formerly homeless participants, suggesting that both groups access services to address needs related to social connection, health and functioning and meaningful activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, approximately 1.5 million American adolescents had a substance use disorder (SUD). Adolescents with SUD risk hindering their neurological development, which can result in problems with memory and self-regulation, and in turn disrupt their education, relationships, and life opportunities. Treating adolescents with SUD is challenging. Thus, effective models that help adolescents engage in long-term recovery are needed. The Alternative Peer Group (APG) is an adolescent recovery support model that incorporates pro-recovery peers and sober social activities into standard continuing care practices. In this qualitative study thematic content analysis methods were used to explore transcripts from in-depth interviews with adolescent APG participants collected in a prior study. The aim of this secondary analysis was to get a clear understanding of adolescents' perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of APGs for supporting SUD recovery. Findings suggest that pro-recovery peer and adult role models, structured activities and a positive social climate that promotes fun, a sense of belonging, and accountability are continuing care elements that are likely to help adolescents resolve their ambivalence about SUD recovery and increase their motivation to engage in the hard work of recovery. These findings can inform the design of effective recovery support model services that promote long-term recovery for adolescents with SUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the concept of recovery in severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia from the social and cultural aspects is important as it will help in developing models of recovery and appropriate interventions. Client and caregiver perspectives on recovery play a significant role in shaping these models and interventions. Hence, the aim of this study was to understand how clients with schizophrenia and their caregivers perceive recovery and to examine the differences between male and female clients with schizophrenia. Materials and methods: A total of 100 clients with schizophrenia and 80 caregivers of clients with schizophrenia were included in the study after written informed consent. A semi-structured proforma was used to collect the sociodemographic profile and illness variables. A questionnaire was developed to assess the indicators of recovery from mental illness and was administered to study participants. Descriptive statistics including frequency and percentages were used along with the chi-square test for analysis. Results: The most common indicators of recovery for the clients with schizophrenia were absence of symptoms (88%), no relapse (70%) and going back to work (70%), while for the caregivers were absence of symptoms (100%), becoming independent (92.5%) and no relapse (91%). Indicators of recovery were similar between male and female clients with schizophrenia except for the need to stop medication as an indicator of recovery observed significantly more in females (p =.006). Most clients used internal validation of indicators to assess their recovery (79%). Conclusion: Results indicate that clients and caregivers from India perceive recovery as being symptom free, able to go back to work and being independent. Clients with schizophrenia use internal validation to assess recovery. Gender does not play a role in the perceptions toward recovery in schizophrenia. These results will help in developing models of recovery for severe mental illness in Indian context leading to tailored interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Identifying patient perspectives about recovery may help the service providers to enhance active participation of patients in their recovery. Aim: This study aimed to explore patients' perspectives about factors affecting recovery from schizophrenia. Methods: A semi-structured interview schedule was used to explore the perceptions of 18 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed. Codes were identified and similar codes were grouped together and main themes were identified. Results: Nine main themes on facilitators and barriers of recovery from schizophrenia were derived. Conclusion: Deeper understanding of patients' perspectives of recovery from schizophrenia can help mental health professionals to plan appropriate recovery-oriented services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recovery education centers (RECs) offer recovery supports through education rather than traditional health services. The Supporting Transitions and Recovery Learning Centre (STAR) in Toronto, Canada, is among the few that are internationally focused on individuals with histories of homelessness. Although research suggests that RECs positively impact participants, there is a paucity of rigorous studies and none address the engagement and impacts on homeless individuals. Aims: This protocol describes a realist-informed evaluation of STAR, specifically examining (1) if STAR participation is more effective in promoting 12-month recovery outcomes than participation in usual services for individuals experiencing housing instability and mental health challenges and (2) how STAR participation promotes recovery and other positive outcomes. Methods: This study uses a quasi-experimental mixed methods design. Personal empowerment (primary outcome) and recovery, housing stability, social functioning, health service use and quality of life (secondary outcomes) data were collected at baseline, and 6 and 12 months. Intervention group participants were recruited at the time of STAR registration while control group participants were recruited from community agencies serving this population after screening for age and histories of housing instability. Interviews and focus groups with service users and providers will identify the key intervention ingredients that support the process of recovery. Results: From January 2017 to July 2018, 92 individuals were recruited to each of the intervention and control groups. The groups were mostly similar at baseline; the intervention group's total empowerment score was slightly higher than the control group's (M (SD): 2.94 (0.23) vs 2.84 (0.28), p =.02), and so was the level of education. A subset of STAR participants (n = 20) and nine service providers participated in the qualitative interviews and focus groups. Conclusion: This study will offer important new insights into the effectiveness of RECs, and expose how key REC ingredients support the process of recovery for people experiencing housing instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are unique methodological challenges to studying and assessing recovery in myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome. This study explored these challenges through interviewing 13 physicians who treat myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Our deductive thematic analysis produced four themes to consider when approaching recovery: lifespan differences in the illness experience; the heterogeneity of myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome—case definitions, etiological stance, and misdiagnosis; patient follow-up and selection bias; and assessment logistics. We discuss how researchers and clinicians can use these considerations when working with patients, drafting recovery criteria, and interpreting treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Websites advocating the benefits of eating disorders ("Pro-Ana") tend to reinforce and maintain restrictive eating and purging behaviors. Yet remarkably, no study has explored individual accounts of disengagement from these sites and the associated meanings. Using narrative inquiry, this study sought to address this gap. From the interviews of six women, two overarching storylines emerged. The first closely tied disengagement to recovery with varying positions of personal agency claimed: this ranged from enforced and unwelcomed breaks that ignited change, to a personal choice that became viable through the development of alternative social and personal identities. A strong counternarrative to "disengagement as recovery" also emerged. Here, disengagement from Pro-Ana was storied alongside a need to retain an ED lifestyle. With "recovery" being just one reason for withdrawal from Pro-Ana sites, clinicians must remain curious about the meanings individuals ascribe to this act, without assuming it represents a step toward recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer providers of mental health services use their personal illness and recovery narratives to help other mental health service users. Despite a substantial body of evidence supporting the effectiveness of these providers, little is known about the underlying strategies they employ in their professional practice. In this study, I used in-depth interviews with 23 peers to explore the most important practices they used in their day-to-day work with others. Results indicated that peers engaged in a reflexive process to strategically use their personal illness and recovery stories to help others re-story their life narratives. Peers also used communication strategies from motivational and cognitive–behavioral treatment approaches to engage, inspire, and mentor other service users. Findings suggest the need for research that further explores the rhetorical strategies used by peers using narrative methods. The development and testing of professional development opportunities to assist peers in maximizing their therapeutic potential are also warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic mental disorder, and family members play a key role in taking care of the affected individuals. The recovery movement has gradually transformed mental health services, for example, through the introduction of peer support services (sharing of expert-by-experience knowledge), and it has challenged the prevailing view that people with mental illness cannot recover. Aims: Through this study, the researchers explored how family caregivers in a Chinese context conceptualise recovery, how caregivers interact with peer support workers (PSWs) and how they perceive peer support services. Methods: Fourteen family caregivers from community settings participated in individual semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed through thematic analysis. Results: Family caregivers had multifaceted definitions of recovery and had various degrees of contact with PSWs. The views and experiences shared by PSWs were hope-instilling for caregivers and changed their perception of BD and their loved ones. Some limitations of PSWs were also identified. Conclusion: Social connectedness and functional outcomes were important indicators of recovery among Chinese family caregivers. Caregivers began to understand the benefits of PSWs after experiencing their services. Peer-led services could be a helpful support for both service users and family caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The recent interest in recovery from mental health problems has not meaningfully addressed the perspectives of ethnic minorities. Aim: To contribute to the discussion of recovery-oriented service with a study on the experience of Chinese people using UK mental health services. Methods: In-depth life history interviews were carried out with the users. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Four themes emerged as hindrances to personal recovery: (1) language difficulty creates hurdles, (2) diagnostic label is experienced as a double-edged sword, (3) treatment-related stigma and (dis)empowerment are identified, and (4) grievances are found in hospitalisation. Discussion: Having mental illness and being an ethnic minority in the UK experienced double hazard in their recovery journey. While the deprivation of agency and the stigma process in the health care system hinders their recovery, they are further disadvantaged by their ethnic minority status. Four pointers for service improvement, that apply to Chinese users in the United Kingdom and have general implications for users beyond this group, are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Occupational therapists use food skills groups to support mental health recovery and engagement in meaningful occupation. Research examining participants' experiences in these mental health groups is sparse. Method: Researchers used a convergent parallel mixed methods design. Following participation in an inpatient food skills group, 60 participants completed a questionnaire, and 20 also participated in a semi-structured interview. The questionnaire data was analysed using descriptive and correlational statistics. The interview data was analysed using thematic analysis. Triangulation was used to combine and interpret findings from the different methods to gain a more complete understanding of the participants' experiences. Findings: Participants strongly agreed/agreed that they enjoyed participating, felt having the opportunity to participate was important to their recovery, and after discharge would use the skills they had learnt. Age, sex, and level of education were associated with some of the questionnaire responses. Three main themes emerged from the interview data: importance of engaging/doing, connections with food, and being involved in a group process. Conclusion: Individuals who participated in the food skills group valued having the opportunity to build skills and engage in meaningful activities with others while in hospital. They identified the food skills group as important to their recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research revealed that it is possible for lung recipients to experience health 1 year posttransplant, despite not being fully recovered. However, an in-depth, long-term perspective on how lung recipients' health transition evolves over time is lacking. Thus, the aim of this study was to further develop a grounded theory of health transition by exploring the process of change 1 to 3 years after lung transplantation. Methods: The grounded theory method was used prospectively to analyze the narratives of 14 adult lung recipients who were included at their 1-year follow-up and reinterviewed 2 years later. Results: This novel study contributes an in-depth understanding of the adaptation process after lung transplantation. The greatest concern in the 3 years after lung transplantation was adaptation to a new normality, which was achieved by 3 main strategies: compare, accept, and adjust. Adaptation to a new normality involved understanding that one's previous life no longer exists and that a new way of living requires adaptation. Successful adaptation resulted in the experience of health and well-being, whereas too many symptoms and limitations in everyday life led to difficulties and a profound sense of illness. Conclusions: Lung recipients can experience health, despite symptoms and complications by adapting to a new normality. This individual process begins posttransplant and continues throughout life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the experience and meaning of time from the perspective of caregivers who have recently been bereaved following the death of a family member. The study is situated within the broader cultural tendency to understand bereavement within the logic of stages, including the perception of bereavement as a somewhat predictable and certainly time-delimited ascent from a nadir in death to a 'new normal' once loss is accepted. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews with 15 bereaved family caregivers we challenge bereavement as a linear, temporally bound process, examining the multiple ways bereavement is experienced and how it variously resists ideas about the timeliness, desirability and even possibility of 'recovery'. We posit, on the basis of these accounts, that the lived experience of bereavement offers considerable challenges to normative understandings of the social ties between the living and the dead and requires a broader reconceptualization of bereavement as an enduring affective state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Previous research on supported housing for people with serious mental illness focuses primarily on tenant/client experiences. The aim of this article is to present families' perspectives on the role of supported housing in recovery, utilizing the CHIME framework of personal recovery. Method: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 families of individuals with serious mental illness living in supported housing. Participants were across five supported housing sites in four Canadian provinces. Results: Families credited supported housing with helping tenants redefine a positive sense of identity, re-establish social relationships and regain control over their lives. Families were less confident about supported housing facilitating future employment or 'full' recovery, focusing on stability rather than continual improvement. Conclusion: This is one of the first studies to report family perspectives on the role of supported housing in their loved one's recovery processes – both strengths and weaknesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To suffer from a critical illness or injury requiring treatment in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a traumatic experience that may affect patients and their relatives for a long time. This study aimed to explore intensive care survivors' experiences of recovery after hospital discharge, from the patient perspective. A qualitative interview study with 12 interviews was conducted and analyzed using inductive content analysis. Four categories emerged from the data: Bodily changes, Emotional experiences, A prolonged struggle and Gratitude. The findings indicate that the life situation of intensive care survivors is changed, that recovery takes time and that the feeling of gratitude for having survived is strong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Medicine is traditionally considered a healing profession, yet concepts of healing are rarely applied to mental illness, recovery being the dominant discourse. This article reports one aspect of the results of a broader exploration, through a service user lens, of aspects of place that facilitate healing in mental health care, with a resulting conceptualisation of healing. Method: The research material comprised the author’s historical writings of her experience of mental illness and recovery and in-depth individual interviews with 10 mental health service users. Analysed thematically, emerging ideas were further developed through an autoethnographically informed, reflexive and iterative process. Results: Healing is necessary when there has been a disruption of integrity and wholeness, experienced as suffering. Offering opportunities for connection, integration and transformation, and acquiring wisdom along the way, healing is a journey of exploration that takes time and is hard work. Discussion: Healing is conceptualised as the intensely personal experience at the heart of recovery, reminding us of the fundamental personal processes at the heart of our journeys. As a universal human experience, healing potentially removes the sense of othering that is at the heart of mental illness stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a growing issue nationally, and SUD in pregnancy has significant consequences for mothers and their children. This article describes findings from a pilot project that used digital storytelling as a mechanism for understanding substance use and recovery from the perspective of women in recovery from SUD in pregnancy who worked as peer mentors with pregnant women currently experiencing SUD. Research on peer mentorship has primarily focused on outcomes for mentees but not the experience of the peer mentors themselves. In this qualitative study, a 3-day digital storytelling workshop was conducted with five women in recovery serving as peer mentors in their community. Each mentor also participated in an individual, in-depth interview. The digital storytelling workshop process helped peer mentors make linkages between their past substance use experiences to their present work of recovery, and fostered deep social connections between mentors through the shared experience. The workshop process also elicited a sense of hope among participants, which served as groundwork for developing advocacy-based efforts. Digital storytelling may be therapeutic for women in recovery and has the potential to be integrated into recovery programs to bolster hope and social support among participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a narrative case study of a client with a history of multiple traumas and severe symptomatology, coupled with an ongoing recovery process. A hermeneutical–phenomenological approach was used to analyze two interviews with the participant over a period of 1 year, following a trauma treatment program. Her husband’s suicide in between the two interviews allowed for an exploration of the possible effects of new trauma exposure on the process of recovery. Analysis of the data revealed how the participant’s early trauma experiences had resulted in escalating symptomatology. Through her relationship with her husband, she gradually became ready to engage in therapy in a way that allowed her to benefit from it. Her husband’s suicide forced her to reconsider her own part in her recovery, resulting in a strengthened feeling of inner security and self-efficacy parallel to what is seen in posttraumatic growth. The results contribute our understanding of individual processes of change and recovery, including processes of growth following cumulative trauma. Plausible mechanisms for growth in the present case was the ability to recognize and tolerate feelings, making sense of one’s own reactions, as well as a sense of control and trust in available resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovery from addiction is an individualized process and necessitates understanding the phenomenon from the perspective of the individual living the experience. This qualitative study seeks to understand women’s lived experience of recovery. Data were collected through participant interviews of women self-identifying as in recovery and interpreted from a phenomenological lens. The overarching theme is vigilance—a way to maintain recovery from addiction through remembering, being careful, and seeking community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of literature evaluating the development and use of vignettes to explore contested constructs in qualitative health care research where a conventional interview schedule might impose assumptions on the data collected. We describe the development and validation of vignettes in a study exploring mental health worker and service user understandings of risk and recovery in U.K. mental health services. Focus groups with mental health workers and service users explored study questions from experiential perspectives. Themes identified in the groups were combined with existing empirical literature to develop a set of vignettes. Feedback focus groups were conducted to validate and amend the vignettes. Following use in research interviews, results suggested that the vignettes had successfully elicited data on issues of risk and recovery in mental health services. Further research using creative, comparative methods is needed to fully understand how vignettes can best be used in qualitative health care research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Annually, approximately five million people worldwide are left with a permanent disability following a stroke, often with ongoing occupational issues. A deeper understanding of the emerging picture of occupational disruption and identity reconstruction after stroke is needed to inform client-centred practice. Method In-depth interviews using constructivist grounded theory methodology were conducted with six Queensland (Australia) adult stroke survivors. Data analysis identified themes which were woven into an overarching theory about the process of reintegration back into the community and living a meaningful life. Findings The central process of adjustment for all participants was reconstruction of an occupational identity, facilitated through connections within and across three domains – self, others and reality. Connecting with self involved emotional management; motivation; confidence; occupational engagement; and seizing control. Connecting with others included being understood; belonging; receiving help; and interactions. Connecting with reality meant confronting the impact on daily life and one's unfolding life story according to three realities: past reality, the reality of the stroke and future reality. Conclusion Exploring how stroke survivors form and maintain connections across the domains of self, reality and others provides a framework to ground occupational therapy services in the reality of individual needs from an occupational perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women in recovery from addiction experience significant sociostructural barriers to reestablishing self, family, and home after having a baby. The aim of this grounded theory study was to describe pathways that women and their families followed and how transitions were experienced in the early years after receiving services through an integrated community-based maternity program. Eighteen women completed questionnaires and participated in a series of semistructured interviews over 2 years. The overall process women experienced was that of holding it together, which women did by restoring their sense of self during recovery, becoming a strong center for their family, and creating a sense of home no matter what the circumstances. Key elements supporting women in their transition to recovery and parenthood included longer term health, social, and recovery programs and services that addressed determinants of health (in particular, gender, housing, and income), and receiving support provided from strengths-based perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Engagement in occupation, including employment, is central to mental health recovery. However, evidence demonstrates that people living with mental illness struggle to maintain their employment. The aim of this qualitative study was to gain a rich understanding of the experiences of people living with mental illness who have managed to maintain their employment, and specifically, the strategies they actively choose and use to stay in work. Method Semi-structured interviews explored the perspectives of 10 people living with mental illness who were successfully maintaining their employment. Data were analysed using constant comparative analysis. Results Participants described maintaining employment through a conscious and active process of using individualised combinations of specific strategies within the broader categories of: identifying and connecting with helpful people; looking after all of me; having a job that fits with who I am; staying motivated; positive reflection and re-framing; and choosing and using strategies in the workplace. Conclusion Occupational therapists might better support long-term employment outcomes for people living with mental illness by adopting a more recovery-oriented approach, facilitating people to actively identify, choose and use their own strategies to maintain employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]