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Recovery from Mental Illness: A Service User Perspective on Facilitators and Barriers

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Abstract

Mental health services strive to implement a recovery-oriented approach to rehabilitation. Little is known about service users’ perception of the recovery approach. The aim is to explore the service user’s perspectives on facilitators and barriers associated with recovery. Twelve residents living in supported housing services are interviewed. The analysis is guided by a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach and the interpretation involves theories from critical theory, sociology, and learning. Learning, social relations, and willpower are identified as having an impact on recovery. Stigmatization and social barriers occurred. Social relations to peer residents and staff were reported as potentially having a positive and negative impact on recovery. Studies have explored the user’s perspectives on recovery but this study contributes with knowledge on how recovery-oriented services have an impact on recovery.

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Acknowledgments

We want to thank the supporting housing services and the service users for participating in the study for sharing their lived experiences and for giving their rich descriptions of recovery. Financial support to carry out the study was received from VIA University College, Aarhus, Denmark and Section of Clinical Social Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Public Health, University of Aarhus, Denmark, and Public Health and Quality Improvement, Central Denmark Region. Three of the authors [Petersen, Haxholm and Wind] were all employed at VIA University College while the study was carried on.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Section of Clinical Social Medicine and Rehabilitation, Aarhus University, P.P. Oerumsgade 9-11 Building 1B, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Kirsten Schultz Petersen & Claus Vinther Nielsen

  2. School of Nursing in Silkeborg, VIA University College, Nattergalevej 1, 8600, Silkeborg, Denmark

    Vivi Soegaard Friis

  3. Regional Hospital West Jutland, Gl. Landevej 61, 7400, Herning, Denmark

    Birthe Lodahl Haxholm

  4. Department of Culture and Society - Section for Anthropology and Ethnography, Aarhus University, Moesgaard Allé 20, 8270, Hoejbjerg, Denmark

    Gitte Wind

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  1. Kirsten Schultz Petersen
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  2. Vivi Soegaard Friis
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  3. Birthe Lodahl Haxholm
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  4. Claus Vinther Nielsen
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  5. Gitte Wind
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Correspondence to Kirsten Schultz Petersen.

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Petersen, K.S., Friis, V.S., Haxholm, B.L. et al. Recovery from Mental Illness: A Service User Perspective on Facilitators and Barriers. Community Ment Health J 51, 1–13 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9779-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9779-7

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