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Recent mental health policy endorses a personal recovery framework that focuses on individual purpose and meaning. Therefore, psychology pre-registration training needs to promote knowledge and attitudes that are aligned with this framework.The 5 + 1 training pathway was recently established in Australia and emphasises readiness for practice. This study examined how provisional psychologists undertaking the 5 + 1 pathway perceived recovery. Semi-structured interviews were completed with nine provisional psychologists completing the coursework component of the 5 + 1 pathway. Interviews focused on perspectives of recovery and were analysed with thematic analysis. Three themes related to perspectives of (i) recovery as a process that involved building capacity to undertake key life roles, (ii) ways that psychologists can promote recovery through their stance and their practices and (iii) factors that have influenced participants' views of recovery. The findings indicate that provisional psychologists in the 5 + 1 pathway are able to develop appropriate but limited perspectives that are generally consistent with the personal recovery framework. Participants were more influenced by client contact than coursework. Learning about recovery could be enhanced by explicitly teaching models of recovery and incorporating views of people with lived experience. Key Points What is already known about this topic: Mental health clinicians' attitudes and perspectives of their work have an impact on the nature of the support they provide. Training plays an important role in developing psychologists' attitudes and perspectives towards recovery. The 5 + 1 internship is a recently established training pathway to registration as a psychologist. What this paper adds: This paper reports on one of few studies related to the Australian 5 + 1 training pathway for psychologists. Although unfamiliar with formal models of recovery, students' perspectives were mostly consistent with personal recovery but there were some indications of conceptual confusion. Recommendations are made for extending development of students' perspectives of recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990s, New Zealand mental health policy has shifted from a focus on the management of symptoms and risk to the recovery of psychological, social, cultural, and physical well‐being. Despite a vision for recovery‐oriented services being integrated within national and regional policies, there is growing concern that barriers to recovery‐oriented service provision continue to exist. Such barriers include the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of front‐line staff, as well as system issues. This study explored the experience and meaning of recovery‐oriented practice for 10 nurses working in an acute inpatient mental health service. A phenomenological and hermeneutic lens was used to explore the nurses' experience of working in a recovery‐focused manner alongside service users. Stories of practice were collected from participants through open‐ended conversational interviews. Transcribed narratives were analysed to explore taken‐for‐granted aspects of working in acute mental health care and to uncover the meaning of being recovery‐oriented in this setting. Findings revealed that although the experience and meaning of recovery‐focused care varied among nurses, there were common elements in the practice accounts. The accounts highlighted the nurses' role in creating different therapeutic spaces to promote safety, relational commitment, and healing for service users. However, the nurses faced challenges to recovery‐oriented care within the team hierarchical culture and the broader service systems. The nurses were, at times, fearless in advocating for service users and recognized that this was essential for developing recovery‐focused services. The findings have implications for nursing practice, as well as training and service development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to gain an understanding of the acute mental health inpatient experience as described by Aboriginal women during admission. It recorded for the first time the words of Aboriginal women within the inpatient unit, including their perceptions of factors which may promote or impede a culturally safe environment. Eleven Aboriginal women inpatients gave interviews before discharge from the inpatient unit. Five Aboriginal Reference Group (ARG) members with experience of the inpatient unit also gave interviews, adding 'insider–outsider' perspectives. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, entered into NVivo software, and analysed inductively to raise codes and develop themes. Five interconnecting themes emerged: Social Context: life experience preceding, shaping, and following admission; Connection: with kin, community, and culture. Control: self‐determination, legally and physically curtailed; Caring: actions promoting reconnection and self‐determination; Communication: conveying caring and supporting agency, reconnection, and return to community. Findings reflected inpatient issues reported in previous studies, adding insights into the cultural concerns of Aboriginal women and offering practical clinical implications for culturally secure service delivery in an inpatient setting. Existing literature offered a basis for developing the model offered here for transcultural interaction for recovery in an inpatient setting. Attention to these findings can enhance Aboriginal women's inpatient experience and promote further research. The article complies with the COREQ‐32 checklist for describing qualitative studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

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]

Many studies show that long-term poor mental health outcomes for disaster-affected people are predicted by postdisaster stressors. Despite this finding, existing recovery frameworks vary in how these stressors are conceptualised. This paper examines community members' subjective perceptions of what they found problematic and useful in their recoveries after the Australian 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, and considers them in the light of these frameworks. We report the findings from responses to semi-structured survey questions as part of the Beyond Bushfires study, 3–4 years after these bushfires (n = 811). Participants identified the biggest problems as managing rebuilding processes and managing their own mental health, memories of the Black Saturday fires, and their concerns for family members. The four most useful supports were family, friends, rebuilding resources, and their community. We found a complex interplay of the same factors operating as both stressors and supports, particularly in relation to family levels of coping. Disaster recovery efforts require the simultaneous management of physical rebuilding and human processes. Families, friends, and neighbours are underestimated resources in postdisaster recovery. Given the complex interplay of the same factors operating as both stressors and supports, interventions are needed that maximise the positive dimensions of these factors. To manage this complexity, multiple frameworks are needed to guide disaster recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why you should read this article: • To learn about the Recovery Star and how its use can empower patients to develop their skills and self-reliance • To understand the benefits and constraints associated with using the Recovery Star in mental health inpatient services • To consider methods you could implement in your area of practice to support frequent and appropriate use of the Recovery Star The Recovery Star is a collaborative tool used by staff to support the recovery of adults who are using mental health services, including inpatient rehabilitation services. However, staff experiences of completing this tool with patients have seldom been reported. Therefore, a service evaluation was undertaken to explore staff perspectives about the useful elements and barriers associated with using the Recovery Star, to determine whether staff believe it is an appropriate tool to use in inpatient rehabilitation services, and to understand the reasons for the tool's underuse. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine staff members who worked across four wards in an inpatient rehabilitation service in Leicester, England. Four main themes were identified through a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts: it is a helpful tool; it is patient-dependent; it is underused due to constraints such as lack of time; and wider issues affecting its use. Subthemes for each of these themes were also identified. Staff reported that the Recovery Star is an appropriate tool to use in mental health rehabilitation services, although they recognised some barriers to its use and amendments required to ensure the tool is used more often. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2016 Alberta wildfires resulted in devastating human, economic and environmental impacts. Social work practitioners and human service professionals are increasingly involved in disaster contexts yet there remains a pressing need to better understand their professional role and contributions. The wildfire resulted in the mobilisation and engagement of social work practitioners and human service professionals to meet the needs of individuals, families, groups and affected community members. Research was undertaken to identify the roles and responsibilities of social work practitioners and human service professionals in the context of the wildfires in Fort McMurray, AB, Canada. Forty social work practitioners and human service professionals were interviewed about their direct experience in the provision of social services in the context of the 2016 wildfire. This article shares the findings based on four themes: social work practice in disaster contexts; social work role in disaster management; building capacity and advocacy, wellness and self-care. Implications and recommendations discuss the need to enhance understandings of the roles and contributions of social work practitioners and human service professionals in disasters with a particular focus on long-term disaster recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children and youth are among the most vulnerable to the detrimental effects of disaster due to their unique physical, cognitive and psychological life stage. Despite their increased vulnerability, children and youth also demonstrate resilience when faced with the adverse circumstances of disasters, and can act as important catalysts for change in their families and communities. This article discusses research conducted with eighty-three children and youth (five to seventeen years) who experienced the 2013 flood in Alberta, Canada. A mixed-methods approach was utilised. The Child and Youth Resilience Measure was used to examine the factors that contribute to resilience post-disaster, including individual, care-giver and contextual factors. In-depth qualitative interviews further examined the specific ways in which individual, caregiver and contextual factors contribute to higher levels of resilience. Findings reveal that despite numerous post-flood challenges, children and youth had higher than average levels of resilience. The findings demonstrate that high levels of resilience are associated with individual factors, specifically peer support and caregiver factors, namely caregiver psychological support. We discuss the implications of these findings for social work policy and practice, and for understanding the factors that best support the resiliency processes and overall recovery of children and youth following disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Role-playing games elicit narratives of heroism, mastery and agency. These are factors considered to promote mental health recovery. This study investigates whatthemes emerge from the stories of role-playing game players in recovery from mental health difficulty and how their stories reflect existing models of mental health recovery. Method: This study utilised narrative inquiry to understand the experiences of Dungeons and Dragon players in recovery from mental health difficulties. Thirteen Dungeons & Dragonsplayers (M = 33.31; SD = 10.05) were interviewed about their experience with the game and recovery. Analysis of narratives was conducted inductively and deductively. Result: Participants discussed a number of factors that linked Dungeons & Dragons to their mental health wellbeing. These included a) experiencing through characters, b) skill building, c) finding space from mental health symptoms, d) safely engaging with mental health difficulties, and e) building relationships. All five stages of the Psychological Recovery Model (Andresen, Oades & Caputi, 2003) were present, and participants engaged with Dungeons & Dragons in a manner reflective of their mental health recovery process. Conclusion The current study expands on research that conceptualizes recovery asa multidimensional process and highlights new elements that have implications for consumers and theoretical frameworks. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) Mental health difficulties can severely impact a person's quality of life and disrupt their internal narrative. (2) Mental health difficulties can severely impact a person's quality of life and disrupt their internal narrative. (3) Community based activities can foster a sense of growth, self-mastery and agency that may ultimately lead to identity reconstruction and a sense of personal recovery. (4) Role-playing games have been identified as potentially helpful in assisting people with mental health difficulties restore a sense of agency and positive identity. What this topic adds: (1) Australian Dungeon and Dragon (D&D) players with a history of mental health difficulties were interviewed in regards to their experiences of role-playing and their mental health recovery. (2) Participants reported D&D assisted with building relationships with other players, experiencing emotions through their character, developing adaptive skills, engaging with difficult mental health topics and experiencing a safe space from mental health difficulties. (3) All five stages of the Psychological Recovery Model were present, and participants engaged with D&D in a manner reflective of their mental health recovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in a cultural and contextual perspective, the current study examined the lived experiences and the recovery pathways of three Taiwanese women diagnosed with various subtypes of anorexia nervosa, at varying stages of their recovery. Specifically, using a multiple-case qualitative method, this study explored the complex, dynamic interactions of sociocultural factors and forces (i.e., cultural, familial, and societal influences) that impinge upon the three Taiwanese female participants in relation to living with anorexia nervosa in contemporary Taiwan. Data were collected based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with the participants and relevant written materials and journal entries provided by these participants. The data were first analyzed within each case and then again across all cases. Accordingly, we present the results of the study by illustrating each participant's story and narrative of struggling with and recovering from anorexia. We then describe three main culturally-related themes that emerged from the cross-case analysis, which pertain specifically to the recovery process of the participants under the East-West 'biculturalism' in Taiwan: 1) anorexia as a function of the conflictual bicultural self; 2) recovery as a pathway towards an integrated bicultural self; and 3) the paradoxical roles of Chinese cultural heritage in anorexia and recovery. Findings of the study highlight the role of local cultural factors/forces, including Chinese familism, Confucianism, filial piety, face-saving, gender role prescriptions, biculturalism, Westernization, and self-relation-coordination, in affecting and shaping Taiwanese women's struggling with anorexia. Implications and recommendations for future research and clinical interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-based Mental Health (MH) organisations in the United Kingdom (UK) are facing challenges for sustaining in-person service delivery. Without empirical evidence that demonstrates the value of a place-based approach for MH recovery, and the types of resources needed to build nurturing spaces for peer support, community-based MH organisations will struggle to maintain their physical spaces. We present empirical insights from a case study involving interviews with 20 students accessing peer support services at the Recovery College Collective, a community-based MH organisation located in the North East of England. The interview study aims to evidence how a place-based approach can afford MH recovery. We draw from discourses on place-making and interpret our interview findings through an established framework that highlights four mechanisms through which place impacts recovery: place for doing , being , becoming and belonging. We use this framework to structure our findings and highlight key qualities of place for establishing and maintaining MH recovery. Our contribution is two-fold: we address a gap in the literature by providing empirical understandings of how place influences MH recovery, whilst extending previous research by considering the role that place plays in community-based organisations. This is timely because of the challenges faced in securing in-person service delivery post-pandemic, and a shift towards remote service provision models. We highlight key implications: (i) Accessing a physical place dedicated to MH support is vital for people who do not have anywhere else to go and are socially isolated due to their health conditions; (ii) Connecting through peer-to-peer interaction is an integral part of the recovery process, and learning from people with lived experience can inform a place-based approach that best suit their needs; and (iii) Recognising the value of place for MH support, and the resources needed for peer support delivery in the community, will help secure places that our research participants described as lifesaving. • Places for peer support are critical in fostering mental health recovery. • Resources for sustaining a place-based approach need to be better recognised. • More contextual understandings of people's experience of place are needed. • Future service delivery should consider recovery as a lifelong journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family Treatment Courts (FTCs) serve child welfare-involved parents with substance use issues who are working toward recovery and reunification with their children. Research has linked FTCs to successful outcomes such as treatment access and completion and family reunification, but there has been less attention to factors that hinder and facilitate program implementation and client engagement. Moreover, little is known about how the shift to virtual services during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted FTC programs and the families they serve. This study examined interview data gathered from staff in six FTCs located in different regions of the country to investigate the impact of the pandemic on programs and the clients they serve. Interviews conducted with clients from one FTC in the Midwest reinforce the data. FTC programs and professionals adjusted to the pandemic by attempting to replicate face-to-face services in an online environment. Virtual services were vital for sustaining FTCs and mitigating barriers to client engagement during the pandemic. At the same time, FTCs were compelled to navigate new barriers to online program implementation as well as acute challenges that clients faced such as greater isolation and reduced treatment access. We discuss implications from these findings with an eye toward maximizing FTC implementation and impact through the intentional use of both in-person programming and online technology after the pandemic. • Isolation, diminished peer support, and reduced treatment access affected recovery • Facilitators to programming included ease of access and reduced anxiety • Barriers to programming included technology issues and diminished perceived support [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]

Being admitted to an acute mental health unit can lead to feelings of shame, and loss of personhood for some consumers. Promoting safety for consumers is a function of acute mental health units. This paper explores how consumers' personhood influences their perception and experience of safety in acute mental health units. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants who had previously been admitted to an acute mental health unit. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Participants perceived safety as being intrinsically linked to their personhood. When participants' innate worth was affirmed in their interactions with staff, participants felt safe. Three subthemes were identified: 'Seen as an equal', 'Being respected', and 'Able to make choices'. These findings can be used to inform nursing practices that enhance consumers' sense of personhood and, in so doing, promote consumers' safety and recovery in acute mental health units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To understand barriers and facilitators of recovery for critical illness survivors', who are discharged home from the hospital and do not have access to dedicated outpatient care. Design: Multi‐site descriptive study guided by interpretive phenomenology using semi‐structured interviews. Methods: Interviews were conducted between December 2017 ‐July 2018. Eighteen participants were included. Data were collected from interview recordings, transcripts, field notes, and a retrospective chart review for sample demographics. Analysis was completed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis which provided a unique view of recovery through the survivors' personal experiences and perception of those experiences. Results: Participants encountered several barriers to their recovery; however, they were resilient and initiated ways to overcome these barriers and assist with their recovery. Facilitators of recovery experienced by survivors included seeking support from family and friends, lifestyle adaptations, and creative management of their multiple medical needs. Barriers included unmet needs experienced by survivors such as mental health issues, coordination of care, and spiritual needs. These unmet needs left participants feeling unsupported from healthcare providers during their recovery. Conclusion: This study highlights important barriers and facilitators experienced by critical illness survivors during recovery that need be addressed by healthcare providers. New ways to support critical illness survivors, that can reach a broader population, must be developed and evaluated to support survivors during their recovery in the community. Impact: This study addressed ICU survivors' barriers and facilitators to recovery. Participants encountered several barriers to recovery at home, such as physical, cognitive, psychosocial, financial, and transportation barriers, however, these survivors were also resilient and resourceful in the development of strategies to try to manage their recovery at home. These results will help healthcare providers develop interventions to better support ICU survivors in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Most research on burnout has focused on its antecedents, correlates, and consequences. However, little empirical attention has been paid to what constitutes successful rehabilitation after burnout, especially among young employees. OBJECTIVE: The present study empirically examined resources supporting successful rehabilitation after burnout among young employees (between 18 and 35 years of age) from a salutogenic perspective. METHODS: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used as a methodological framework to explain the experiences of young employees underlying their rehabilitation after burnout. RESULTS: The analysis showed that the rehabilitation process comprises four phases: 1) facing the crisis; 2) addressing the root causes; 3) seizing and achieving the opportunity; and 4) staying at work. Essential overarching resources facilitating successful recovery after burnout included receiving social support from family, friends, and colleagues, as well as having a feeling of control over the rehabilitation process. Participants learned to be aware of potential pitfalls that could trigger burnout symptoms, while having confidence in their ability to prevent burnout from reoccurring. These continuous learning processes were experienced as a prerequisite to remain at work. CONCLUSIONS: Receiving social support and experiencing a feeling of control over the rehabilitation process appear to be key resources in facilitating a stable, meaningful return to work after burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The literature on workplace interventions focusing on recovery is scarce; hence this study intends to expand that knowledge. An intervention was run for one year, aiming at increasing the experience of recovery during the workday among primary health care employees. During the intervention, different forms of recovery activities were integrated into the daily work at six primary health care centres. The aim of this study was to explore the intervention process and its effects. Methods: After completion of an intervention, 39 employees in seven focus groups were interviewed about their experiences of the intervention. A semi-structured interview guide was used, and the qualitative analysis was conducted by systematic text condensation. Results: Despite different conditions and attitudes when the project was launched, the participants portrayed a positive outcome of the intervention at all six workplaces. Four promoting factors for intervention success were identified: support, legitimacy, customization, and simplicity. Also, three areas of improvement during the intervention period were described: the workplace climate, employee well-being, and recovery awareness, which in turn became promoting factors. Conclusions: An intervention aiming at increasing workplace recovery can be promoted by support, legitimacy, customization, and simplicity. By using these promoting factors, health care workplaces can implement activity models which could increase employees' experiences of recovery during the workday. Positive effects on workplace climate and employee well-being can also be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Understanding factors that promote and hinder the recovery process for people living with serious mental illness remains of critical importance. We examine factors, including limited literacy, associated with mental health recovery among public mental health service users. Method: This study uses data from a mixed-methods, service-user informed project focused on the impact of limited literacy in the lives of people with serious mental illness. Data from structured interviews evaluate perceptions of recovery as assessed with the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS). Regression models examine factors related to recovery controlling for sociodemographic factors, literacy, neurocognition, mental health status, perceived social support, and stigma. Results: Despite bivariate relationships between RAS and limited literacy, the full models suggest that other factors account for this relationship. These include mental health status, higher social support, higher self-reported community status, and higher stigma consciousness, as well as race for some models. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Our findings that social support and perceptions of community status are associated with higher scores on the RAS echo prior work demonstrating the importance of social connection and context in mental health recovery. Though literacy was not a predictor of recovery, further research should examine the relationship between literacy and recovery given the deep literature on literacy on health outcomes. In order to better support people in the recovery process it is important that more research is done to examine the complex relationship between stigma consciousness and recovery as well as understand the racial disparities that exist within the recovery subscales. Impact and Implications: Limited literacy was not significantly associated with recovery attitudes; however, individual and social level factors, mental health status, social support, perception of community status, and stigma consciousness were found to positively impact one's recovery attitudes. These factors need to be understood so they can be leveraged to help people move toward recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The overall aim of the present paper is to elicit the subjective perceptions and experiences of people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) involved in a Participatory Video project, with a focus on self-reported impact on recovery. There are 2 subobjectives, namely (a) to document which specific aspects (if any) of Participatory Video project participation are reported to positively influence recovery; and (b) to assess the impact of project involvement on specific dimensions of recovery. Method: In this project, 3 workgroups of people with Severe Mental Illness met approximately twice per week over a 2-year period to make and disseminate educational videos about mental illness. Workgroup participants (n = 20) took part in an in-depth semistructured qualitative interview at project end to understand their experience in the project, especially impact on recovery. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. Results: At completion, participants had made 26 videos and organized 49 community screenings reaching over 1,500 people. Participants reported that regular involvement in this project fostered their recovery in a variety of ways, imparting multiple psychosocial benefits, which are summarized in 5 themes: (a) skill-acquisition, (b) platform and voice, (c) connectedness, (d) a meaningful focus, and (e) personal development. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Participatory Video is a powerful group intervention which positively benefits workgroup participants. Importantly, results overlap with other research indicating that grassroots-produced mental health themed videos can educate viewers and reduce public stigma. As such, psychiatric rehabilitation organizations should consider initiating similar projects in their own locales. Impact and Implications: Participatory Video is an innovative group program where marginalized people get together to produce documentary-type videos about their lives, which are then screened at community venues. This study found that regular involvement in a successful Participatory Video program helped foster the recovery of participants with severe mental illness. This suggests that Participatory Video is a recovery-oriented intervention, which could be initiated by mental health services and peer support organizations elsewhere. [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]

Objective The objective was to explore family caregivers' perspectives of the recovery process of older adults with hip fracture and describe experiences from caregivers who: (1) used the online intervention, or (2) received home-based care provided by the Andalusian Public Health Care System. Methods This was an exploratory secondary study with informal family caregivers who had an older adult family member with hip fracture enrolled in a novel telerehabilitation (telerehab) clinical trial. Forty-four caregivers of older adults with hip fracture were interviewed at 6 to 9 months after their family member's hip fracture. Results Caregivers shared concerns of family members' survival and recovery; they recounted increased stress and anxiety due to the uncertainty of new tasks associated with providing care and the impact on their lifestyle. Although most caregivers were satisfied with the health care received, they made suggestions for better organization of hospital discharge and requests for home support. The main reasons why caregivers and their family member chose the telerehab program were to enhance recovery after fracture, gain knowledge for managing at home, and because of the convenience of completing the exercises at home. There were more family caregivers in the control group who expressed a high level of stress and anxiety, and they also requested more social and health services compared with caregivers whose family member received telerehab. Conclusion Family caregivers are an essential component of recovery after hip fracture by providing emotional and physical support. However, future clinical interventions should evaluate person-centered interventions to mitigate possible stress and anxiety experienced by family caregivers. Impact Family caregivers' perspectives are necessary in the co-design of management strategies for older adults after hip fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While recovery has become a popular framework for mental health services, there is limited understanding of its applicability outside of Western countries. In fact, recent studies in non-Anglophone populations suggest that recovery is contextually dependent and that the implementation of mainstream recovery models risks imposing inappropriate values. We used classic grounded theory to explore the main concerns of mental health service users in a Middle Eastern context and the strategies they use to resolve those concerns. The theory of 'reciprocity membership', a process involving ongoing mutual exchange with a group or community, was developed. Reciprocity membership becomes balanced when an individual is satisfied with their 'contribution to' the group, the 'acknowledgement from' other group members, the 'expectations of' the group, and their 'alignment with' the values of the group. Balance among these conditions is appraised by a sub-process called 'valuing', and developed or maintained by two further sub-processes called 'positioning' and 'managing relationships'. Balanced reciprocity membership seems to be associated with recovery. This study is the first in-depth exploration of people's experience of mental illness in a Middle Eastern context; findings provide evidence for a novel potential pathway towards recovery. [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]

Men account for three‐quarters of suicide deaths in the UK, yet we know little about how at‐risk men construct their experiences of moving towards – and then subsequently stepping back from – suicide, nor the part played by relational factors therein. An inductive thematic analysis was used to examine narrative interviews with eleven UK men who self‐reported serious thoughts, plans and up‐to and including suicide attempts in progress, but who consciously decided against carrying out an attempt. Their accounts suggest a highly social process of movements towards and away from suicide (e.g. frustrated help‐seeking). Stepping back from suicide represents not a discrete issue, but a linked process in suicidality and wider recovery. Here, the use of military metaphors in particular (e.g. waging war, fighting back) highlights the gendered nature of the issue. Additionally, our article illuminates a range of social relations and forces that circulate in and around suicidality, which itself is embedded in varying forms of relationality, normativity and gendered practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of carers supporting the lives of people with mental illness, there are limited studies investigating the well‐being and needs of Malay carers in multicultural Singapore. The Malays consist of 13.4% of Singapore's population. A mixed methods qualitative dominant research approach was used to explore the well‐being and needs of Malay carers in a voluntary welfare organisation. The Kessler‐10, Friendship Scale and Carers' and Users' Expectations of Services—Carer version were used to assess the needs and well‐being of 17 Malay carers. Findings show that Malay carers experienced poor well‐being and had numerous unmet needs. Four main themes were found: (a) Concerns related to relatives with mental illness, (b) Mental health practices related to carers, (c) Holistic support for carers and (d) Preference for greater spiritual support in mental health. Recovery‐oriented mental health practice implications are discussed. Spirituality of Malay carers needs to be given greater consideration in recovery‐oriented mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This qualitative study explored themes about barriers to substance use treatment for women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) and opioid use in rural Vermont. The goal was to collect descriptive information to aid in the development of intervention ideas to facilitate better treatment access for women in this situation. Methods: One‐on‐one telephone interviews with 33 rural Vermont women who experienced both IPV and opioid use took place between February and August 2019. Findings: There were 5 main themes that emerged as barriers to accessing needed services: (1) geographic isolation and transportation difficulties, (2) inaccessibility of existing services, (3) lack of integrated substance use treatment and domestic violence services, (4) social isolation, and (5) amplification of stigma in small rural communities. Conclusions: Improved access to care and increased collaboration between IPV and substance use service providers are required to better serve rural communities in which IPV and opioid use disorder are concurrent problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is an effective treatment for borderline personality disorder and suicidal behaviour. However, it is a complex programme involving individual therapy, participation in skills training groups, and phone coaching aimed at improving emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness. Little is known about what elements contribute to its effectiveness, or the characteristics of those who complete the programme and achieve recovery. In this study, six participants in a dialectical behaviour therapy programme for youth were interviewed at three time points over their recovery journey. The transcribed narratives were analysed using inductive methods, and the core processes related to recovery were elucidated and described: 'Becoming a cheerleader for DBT' and 'Learning the language of DBT and consolidation of skills'. Indicators of recovery included having a sound working alliance with the primary therapist and others involved in the programme and noticing meaningful improvements in problem areas which they attributed to particular skills and improved capacity to regulate emotions. The rich narrative description provided by participants might inspire some to remain engaged in a dialectical behavioural therapy programme or clinicians to consider promoting a positive view of the prognosis for borderline personality disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to explore how material things might become involved in the recovery process of people with mental health difficulties. Empirical material from three different studies on various aspects concerning mental health issues that each of the authors had conducted was reanalysed through a phenomenological item analysis. We discovered that mundane objects such as a mobile phone, a bench, a door and a key have agency to contribute to peoples' recovery and wellbeing. Things became agents that created contexts that initiated physical, social and emotional movements. By giving attention to materiality we might become aware of the importance of things as agents in living in general and in recovery processes for people with mental health difficulties in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Community Health Centres (CHCs) are an essential component of primary health care (PHC) in Canada. This article examines health providers' understandings and experiences regarding stigma towards mental health and substance use (MHSU) issues, as well as their ideas for an effective intervention to address stigma and discrimination, in three CHCs in Toronto, Ontario. Methods: Using a phenomenological approach, we conducted twenty-three interviews with senior staff members and peer workers, and three focus groups with front-line health providers. Ahybrid approach to thematic analysis was employed, entailing a combination of emergent and a priori coding. Results: The findings indicate that PHC settings are sites where multiple forms of stigma create health service barriers. Stigma and discrimination associated with MHSU also cohere around intersecting experiences of gender, race, class, age and other issues including the degree and visibility of distress. Clients may find social norms to be alienating, including behavioural expectations in Canadian PHC settings. Conclusions: Given the turmoil in clients' lives, systematic efforts to mitigate stigma were inhibited by myriad proximate factors that demanded urgent response. Health providers were enthusiastic about implementing anti-stigma/recovery-based approaches that could be integrated into current CHC services. Their recommendations for interventions centred around communication and education, such as training, CHC-wide meetings, and anti-stigma campaigns in surrounding communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore whether treatment and probation professionals describe ideals and practices more aligned with the recovery-oriented systems of care (ROSC) model or the acute-care model. Methods: Semi-structured individual interviews were used to gather qualitative data on the ideals and practices of nine probation professionals and nine treatment professionals. Results: Directed content analysis revealed that all treatment professionals interviewed and eight out of nine probation professionals described more ideals and practices in line with the ROSC model than those in line with the acute-care model. Of all the meaning units coded for model alignment, 81.7% aligned with ROSC and 18.3% with acute care. Of the meaning units coded as ROSC, 51.4% were from treatment professionals and 48.6% from probation professionals. Of the meaning units coded as acute care, 30.2% came from treatment professionals and 69.8% from probation professionals. In building a ROSC, it seems the concern is less about buy in for recovery-oriented characteristics and more about shedding characteristics of the acute-care model. Although professionals have many ideals and practices in line with the ROSC model, some acute-care characteristics linger and could continue to exist without intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A stroke is a sudden event which may leave individuals and their families ill-prepared to deal with the resultant disability. Several contextual factors can influence the recovery process. These factors, internal and external, exist interactively in the lived experiences of the survivors. The limited availability of rehabilitation centres that are located in urban centres meant that recovery predominately occurred outside of the biomedical health and instead relied upon the resources available to individuals and their families. Methods: A qualitative approach with data from in-depth interviews and observations were used to identify contextual factors that shaped recovery following stroke in a community. Twenty-seven individuals with stroke were drawn from a health and demographic surveillance system in Malaysia. Results: Hope and optimism, coping strategies, motivation and support from family and friends, and the use of alternative and complementary medicine shaped the process of recovery within a context where infrastructure is extremely limited. Conclusion: The identification of factors that facilitate the recovery process provides a background in which health care providers can utilise to improve their understanding of the stroke experience. Such understanding could be instrumental in aiding health professionals to offer the most effective help to their clients. Identification of contextual factors provides a background for the understanding of the stroke experience. Incorporation of religion into rehabilitation could support and maintain hope in recovery for the survivors and aid acceptance. A collaboration of healthcare professionals with traditional medicine therapists may prove beneficial for the rehabilitation of stroke survivors in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The concept of recovery has exerted considerable traction in mental health services for adults of working age, but less so in older people's mental health services. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a staff-level recovery intervention in older people's mental health services. Method: The study used a mixed-method pre-post design. The study took place in NHS older people's mental health services, UK. Staff participants were multi-disciplinary mental health team members from the same service. The intervention was a manualised staff-level recovery intervention called the Older Adults Recovery Intervention (OARI). Measurement included the Recovery Knowledge Inventory and the Recovery Attitudes Questionnaire (RAQ-7) as well as fidelity data and in-depth qualitative interviews. Results: OARI was delivered to 204 staff in 15 clinical teams. There was a statistically significant change towards improvement in four of the six recovery attitude and knowledge sub-scales. There were positive findings in change in practice at individual level, but not at team level. A number of context barriers were identified leading to the intervention not being delivered as intended. Conclusions: Further development of OARI will involve a clearer distinction about the practice implications for service users with dementia versus functional illnesses, a stronger focus on implementation support, more use of evidence in training materials and a tailoring of context to meet professional group training needs. Overall, this study contributes novel data to the evidence base for recovery within older people's mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: On entering Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR), the female cardiac population shows greater fear of overexertion and sense of uncertainty than similarly affected men. The purpose of this study was to explore how women experienced the recovery process after a cardiac event and what impact the event had on bodily experiences. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive design, inspired by a phenomenological approach. Information was collected from 20 women through focus groups and individual in-depth interviews. The material was analyzed with a method of systematic text condensation. Results: The women's recovery after a CE could be a lonely and difficult process. Their own perspectives on what they need in the process is often overlooked, focus being on medical care and clinical recovery in the early phase. Returning home, the women suffered vulnerability, fragility, and insecurity, affecting well-being as well as activity levels. Lack of support and follow-up post-discharge seemed to disturb the progress of the recovery process. Conclusions: Helping the women regain confidence in their new bodies, supporting the personal recovery processes, and bridging the gap between discharge and enrolling in a CR-program could reduce personal stress and withdrawal, thereby empowering more women to start and complete CR programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: What is known on the subject?: Many Western countries have abandoned the wearing of nurse uniforms on inpatient mental health wards. The adoption of a non‐uniform policy in Hong Kong was recently introduced in select rehabilitation units to align with the philosophy of the recovery model. What the paper adds to existing knowledge?: The findings suggest that nurses perceived wearing non‐uniform might help to reduce the self‐stigma of service users and develop better self‐esteem.The perceived potential benefits of the introduction of a non‐uniform policy seemed to outweigh the perceived drawbacks. What are the implications for practice?: The results further acknowledge the potential positive effects of nurses wearing non‐uniform on facilitating psychiatric service users' recovery process. However, further research on service users' perspectives is required.The wearing of non‐uniform may be considered to be extended to other psychiatric wards in Hong Kong and other similar Asian settings in order to potentially help promote patient's recovery and to reduce emotional distance between staff and service users. Introduction: A non‐uniform policy was recently adopted in selected Hong Kong rehabilitation wards to align with the philosophy of the recovery model. The change in policy is relatively novel in Asia, where no previous studies have reported how this may influence nursing care and service users' recovery. Aim: To explore Hong Kong Mental Health Nurses' views about wearing non‐uniform within an inpatient rehabilitation unit in regard to facilitating service users' recovery process. Method: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted, utilizing individual in‐depth semi‐structured research interviews. Results: A total of 12 interviews were conducted with nurse participants. The analysis process identified 3 main themes and 9 subthemes. Main themes were "building up rapport with service users," "non‐uniform helps deinstitutionalization" and "different approaches to maximize the benefit and to minimize the risk." Discussion: Despite some concerns, the majority of nurse participants positively viewed the policy of wearing non‐uniform and felt it was potentially beneficial to service users' recovery process. Implications for practice: Nurses perceived that wearing non‐uniform may facilitate meaningful therapeutic engagement, and may help to reduce the self‐stigma and develop the self‐esteem of service users. Other inpatient units in Hong Kong and similar Asian settings might consider adopting the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disaster response and recovery researchers and policy makers are increasingly attempting to represent the views of children and adolescents alongside those of adults and other community members following disasters. Objective: Children's and adolescents' perspectives regarding the impacts and complications of the 2014 Hazelwood coal mine fire and ongoing smoke pollution event were investigated. Method: Sixty-nine children and adolescents (aged 8–16 years) were interviewed using a semi-structured interview methodology and thematic analysis used to analyse the interviews. Results: The children and adolescents revealed that the smoke and the response of schools, family members and community impacted the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of some children, while others experienced little impact from the event. Some reported awareness of the event complications on their parents and the community, and demonstrated skills to care for themselves and others, and to participate in disaster risk reduction efforts. Conclusion: The perspective of children and adolescents about the consequences of the fire and ensuing circumstances yield important insights which could incorporated into trauma-informed practices and disaster preparation, response and rehabilitation programs to reduce children's and adolescents' vulnerability and to increase their agency following disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare inflammatory disorder affecting the peripheral nerves. Although typically there is full neurological recovery, some people continue to experience residual physical, psychological or social problems longer term. Evidence describing the experiences of people with GBS is limited. Objective: We aimed to explore the experiences of people with GBS in the UK. Design: We used qualitative (face‐to‐face and telephone) interviews to explore experiences of people with GBS. Audio‐recorded data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using the Framework Method supported by NVivo 11. Setting and Participants: We purposively recruited a sample of 16 volunteers with a prior diagnosis of GBS of varying age, sex, ethnicity, location, marital status, time since diagnosis and length of hospital stay to maximize differences in experience. Interviewees were required to have been discharged from hospital, able to give informed consent, able to speak and understand English and currently resident in the United Kingdom. Results: The key themes arising from the analysis were as follows: the importance of early diagnosis; the experiences of inpatient care; the importance of active support for recovery; the need for communication throughout the course of the illness; the need for greater awareness, knowledge and provision of information by health‐care staff; and path to achieving function. Conclusion: This is the first qualitative study exploring experiences of people with GBS in the UK through their whole illness journey from onset to recovery. The findings contribute to our understanding of the experiences and support needs of people recovering from GBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are often constraints and obstacles for those experiencing problems with mental health when accessing care provided by mental health multidisciplinary teams. Saudi Arabia has relatively little literature on the subject of mental health recovery. The purpose of this study was to explore the perception of experienced mental health practitioners of the concept of recovery and its role in the delivery of mental health care services in Saudi Arabia. A constructivist phenomenological qualitative inquiry using 10 multidisciplinary mental health practitioners based at a governmental hospital participated in focus group guided interviews. Analysis of interview content was assisted by software NVivo 10.1. The two main emergent themes of the data were: (a) the perception of the recovery concept (subthemes: meaning of recovery, perception of recovery in mental health, the understanding of holistic recovery, and knowledge and background), and (b) delivery of recovery in mental health care services (subthemes: practicing experience and effective recovery). Results of the analysis may allow improvement of recovery aimed mental health in Saudi Arabia. Effective communication with patients and their relatives, professional education, and policy changes may assist in enhanced recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Dual Diagnosis Anonymous (DDA) is a peer-led programme developed in the USA, which aims to address mental and addictive disorders in an integrated manner. This study is part of a mixed-methods evaluation of the first DDA pilot in the UK, and the purpose of this study is to explore the impact and mechanism of change of the programme through the perspective of DDA attendees, facilitators and the funding commissioners. Design/methodology/approach: Six DDA members were interviewed three times over a period of 12 months, the facilitators were interviewed twice and the commissioner was interviewed once. The qualitative longitudinal data were analysed using a trajectory thematic analysis. Findings: DDA attendance was perceived to have had a positive impact on five main areas: acceptance of self, of others and from others; social functioning; self-development; recovery progression; and feeling of hope. The possibility of addressing both mental health and addiction at the same time was a key factor in the recovery process. The facilitators observed that DDA had contributed to integrate members into employment and education, while the commissioner stressed the importance of joint commissioning and sustainability. Originality/value: The longitudinal approach provided a unique insight into the recovery process of DDA members. Being able to address the mental health as well as the substance use problems was considered to be a fundamental strength of DDA in comparison to the single purpose peer-support fellowships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous studies have pointed the need for more research, which explores how peer provision brings about change associated with recovery. This study aims to test Leamy's framework, which consists of five recovery processes: connectedness, hope, identity, meaning and empowerment (also known as the CHIME framework) within the peer provision context. Design/methodology/approach: This mixed-methods study was completed in two stages. A total of 13 face-to-face interviews were conducted with peers and the transcripts were analysed thematically. A short online questionnaire was completed by 12 peers and analysed with both descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Findings: The participants spoke about the value of peer providers (PPs) in building connectedness, fostering hope and optimism, growing identity, enhancing meaning and empowerment (CHIME). However, their connectedness was hindered by external circumstances and the intrapersonal capacities of their PP. Practical implications: The CHIME framework was useful in highlighting stages in which peers moved through their recovery and its corresponding PP involvement. PPs were also found to promote motivation, which was a key driver in their peers' recoveries. Further research is needed to test frameworks that account for wider systemic issues and the role PPs play in enhancing motivation. Originality/value: This study has identified the usefulness of the CHIME framework in describing peer provision. It contributes to our understanding of how peer provision can promote recovery in persons with mental health challenges. It lays the groundwork for future research into examining the role of peer provision in recovery and its distinctiveness from other forms of mental health support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addiction recovery has gained considerable attention over the past few years. Despite the diffuse conceptualization of 'recovery', a range of studies have been conducted on what recovery means. Even though cocaine is the most frequently used stimulant drug, little qualitative research has been done on recovery from cocaine addiction. This study provides more insight into the personal perspectives of (former) cocaine-dependent individuals. In-depth interviews (n = 23) were conducted in a cocaine-specific treatment programme (CRA + vouchers) in Belgium. According to respondents, cocaine addiction recovery is a process that concerns an identity shift, building on personal strengths and utilizing sources of support from the close social network and society. The results showed some specific features regarding the recovery process of individuals in recovery from cocaine addiction, since 'socially integrated' cocaine users had a head start due to advantages such as being employed and having a social network. Support should be tailored to the specific needs of individuals in recovery and social networks and communities that support recovery are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is extensive literature documenting the nature of recovery in mental health in adult populations, but there is very little exploring its nature and meaning for young people. Aims: To gain a detailed understanding from the perspective of young people about the concept of recovery in young people's mental health. Method: Semi structured interviews were conducted with 23 young people. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Themes emerging from the interviews included young people's dynamic conceptualisations of recovery, awareness of others views of recovery, polarised goals of recovery, and facilitators and barriers of recovery. Conclusions: To be relevant for young people, the mental health recovery model must incorporate individual needs, developmental considerations and fluctuations in goals. It must also be embedded within the young person's ecological system such as family, friends and school, and be focussed around an explicit and collaborative recovery discussion with the young person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a qualitative analysis of perspectives on leadership development among working peer support specialists and highlights the challenges, needs and efficacy these individuals experience in their work settings. Six participants engaged in a 2 h semi-structured focus group. Participants were guided through a series of nine questions regarding their transition to leadership, professional communication and relationships. Seven themes emerged: managing dual relationships; having difficult conversations; push and pull of leadership; taking responsibility for others; taking responsibility for self-care; addressing stigma in the workplace, and, spirituality/a calling to help. These professionals integrate their personal experiences of recovery into their direct care and leadership approaches in the workplace. This blending of recovery concepts and supervision approaches reflect some of the powerful elements that peer recovery specialists are uniquely qualified to lead in the healthcare workforce. These findings provide important implications for leadership development among this growing segment of the healthcare workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Eating disorder recovery research has emphasized the absence of symptoms over the presence of adaptive aspects like positive body image and healthy eating attitudes. The current study examined how body appreciation and intuitive eating related to eating disorder recovery using a comprehensive recovery definition (physical, behavioral, and cognitive recovery). Method: Data were collected from 66 women with an eating disorder history and 31 controls with no history of eating pathology. Participants completed an online survey followed by a phone interview. Results: The fully recovered group did not differ from controls on body appreciation, with both groups endorsing significantly higher levels of body appreciation than the partially recovered and current eating disorder groups. Similarly, the fully recovered group did not differ from controls on overall intuitive eating, with both groups endorsing significantly higher levels of overall intuitive eating than the partially recovered and current eating disorder groups. Discussion Positive psychological constructs such as body appreciation and intuitive eating relate to eating disorder recovery status. Understanding recovery within a strengths‐based framework may inform intervention and relapse prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Recovery from an eating disorder (ED) may be defined differently by different stakeholders. We set out to understand the definition of ED recovery from the perspective of patients, their parents, and clinicians. Method: We recruited patients with EDs (n = 24, ages 12–23 years) representing different diagnoses (anorexia nervosa n = 17, bulimia nervosa n = 4, binge‐ED n = 2, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder n = 1), along with their parents (n = 20), dietitians (n = 11), therapists (n = 14), and primary care providers (n = 9) from three sites: Boston Children's Hospital, University of Michigan C. S. Mott Children's Hospital, and Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. In‐depth, semi‐structured, qualitative interviews explored participants' definitions of recovery. Interviews were analyzed using inductive data‐driven thematic analysis. Statistical analyses followed to examine the distribution within each theme by respondent type. Results: Qualitative analysis resulted in the emergence of four overarching themes of ED recovery: (a) psychological well‐being, (b) eating‐related behaviors/attitudes, (c) physical markers, and (d) self‐acceptance of body image. Endorsement of themes two and four did not significantly differ between patients, parents, and clinicians. Clinicians were significantly more likely to endorse theme one (χ2 = 9.90, df = 2, p =.007, φc = 0.356) and theme three (χ2 = 6.42, df = 2, p =.04, φc = 0.287) than patients and parents. Discussion: Our study demonstrates overwhelming support for psychological markers as indicators of ED recovery by all three groups. Clinicians should remain open to additional markers of recovery such as body acceptance and eating‐related behaviors/emotions that may be of critical importance to patients and their caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: This paper explores the conditions for the possibilities of recovery in a Danish mental healthcare practice, expressed from the perspective of nurses. The results and discussion of the study help to make visible and explore the muddle of conceptualisations of recovery in mental healthcare practice. Background: Few studies examine the possibilities of recovery for inpatients and outpatients in mental health centres from a nursing perspective. Design: A qualitative design using a critical social constructionist frame of understanding, in which the real world is considered as a series of social constructions. Method: A Fairclough‐inspired critical discourse analysis was chosen as the analytical strategy. The analysis is comprised of ten interviews in mental health care and notes, written by nurses, in medical records of ten patients with a mental illness admitted to a mental healthcare centre in 2016–2017. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used as a guideline to secure accurate and complete reporting of the study (See Appendix S1). Results: From the findings of the textual analysis and the analysis of the discourse practice, it seems clear that the social relations and structures relating to recovery in Danish psychiatry are steered and controlled by discourses that reflect, in general terms, the essence of the core of neoliberal ideology. Conclusion: Recovery is generally articulated from an overall discourse of neoliberalism with its embedded discourses of paternalism, biomedicine, self‐care and holism. All these discourses coexist in nursing practice, but the paternalistic discourse becomes the framework for the conditions for the possibility of how recovery is expressed in practice. Relevance to clinical practice: Nurses need to be supported to seek clarity in the understanding and operationalisation of a recovery‐oriented approach, if the agenda is to be truly adopted and strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: What is known on the subject?: Religion plays important role in recovery from mental illness.Religion can have both positive and negative effects on recovery. What does this paper add to existing knowledge?: It is conceivable for Black African service users (BASUs) to engage with the mainstream mental health services at the onset of their symptoms.BASUs see mental illness and recovery through the lens of religion. They mostly use Pentecostalism and traditional African healing systems to aid their recovery.The mainstream mental health system and the traditional African healing system exist in harmony for BASUs who are open to simultaneously access both services. What are the implications for practice?: There is a need to recognize that most Black Africans have unique ways of practising their Christianity. Thus, broad changes are needed in the services to support religious coping tailored to the individual persons in their recovery journey.There is a need for service providers and healthcare professionals to integrate Pentecostalism and traditional African healing systems into the recovery processes. It should equally be recognized that such changes could trigger confusion, dilemmas and paradoxes.Service providers and healthcare professionals must build partnership and collaborative working with cultural practitioners and the clergy from the Black African communities to facilitate recovery and address any misunderstandings. Introduction: Religion is an important impetus for recovery. However, there has been little work examining the role of religion in recovery for Black African service users (BASUs) in England. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore how religion influences recovery from mental illness for BASUs in England. Method: Twelve Black African service users were purposively selected and interviewed using face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: The study generates fascinating insights that BASUs views about mental illness and recovery are influenced by Pentecostalism and traditional African healing systems. Discussion: The participants' perceptions of their mental illness experiences and recovery which are characterized by the pragmatism of Pentecostalism and cultural beliefs are consistent with what is reported in the literature. Implications for practice: The findings of the study show that broad changes are needed to accommodate the religious coping of BASUs in their recovery journey. [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: Recovery is a widely accepted paradigm in mental health care, whilst the correctional and forensic–psychiatric field is still searching for foundations for its implementation. Knowledge regarding recovery of persons with intellectual disabilities in secure contexts is limited. This study assesses recovery needs and resources among persons with intellectual disabilities labelled not criminally responsible and investigates the impact of the judicial label on recovery processes. Methods: A sample of 26 individuals was composed purposively, and in‐depth interviews were conducted. Recurrent themes were identified using thematic analysis. Results: Traditional recovery themes emerged from the narratives, next to aspects of recovery in a forensic or correctional context. However, the operationalization and proportional impact are specific for this sample. Conclusions: The social dimension overarches all other recovery dimensions. The integration of an explicit social rhetoric is imperative, including contextual, relational, interactional and societal dimensions. This offers pathways to reverse the traditional, paternalistic model of exclusion and classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social capital, and more particularly the social networks that define its existence, is said to benefit health and well‐being. In individuals recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, social capital accruing from social networks support treatment, recovery and maintenance. Therefore, the concept of social capital is important for public health practitioners working in recovery interventions. This qualitative study seeks to explore what practitioners perceive as the importance of social capital and how they apply the concept in interventions to support individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. Eight public health practitioners involved in drug and substance abuse interventions in West Yorkshire, England, were interviewed. The results of the interview were then deductively coded using two priori themes of perceived impact of social capital on health outcomes and application of social capital theory in recovery interventions. The findings reveal that practitioners understand the impact of social capital as the effects of social networks on recovery and apply the concept in their interventions. However, the nature of interventions created based on similarities in condition (alcohol and substance addiction) and intended outcome (recovery) create bonding social capital with mixed outcomes. This paper argues that the wider benefits to service users are unintentionally inhibited by the overwhelming downsides of bonding social capital. For instance, closed support groups comprised of individuals with high similarities further exclude the already socioeconomically deprived service users from integrating and accessing resources outside their groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]