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Promoting Personal and Social Recovery in Older Persons with Schizophrenia: The Case of The New Club, a Novel Dutch Facility Offering Social Contact and Activities

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Abstract

Many older community-living persons with schizophrenia report unmet psychological and social needs. The Amsterdam-based New Club is a novel facility that intends to foster self-reliance and social participation in this group. To explore participants’ and staff perceptions, a naturalistic qualitative study combined participant observation with interviews. The results illustrate how the New Club contributes to the personal and social recovery of its participants. At the personal level, attending the facility, activation and feeling accepted were valued positively. At the social level, engaging with others, experiencing a sense of community, and learning from one another’s social skills were positive contributors. Next, various environmental factors proved important. The New Club demonstrates the feasibility of creating a facility that offers an accepting and non-demanding social environment to older community-living individuals with severe mental illnesses. It may offer a suitable alternative for the more demanding psychotherapeutic interventions offered to younger populations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Research and Education, GGZ Friesland Mental Health Services, Sixmastraat 2, 8932PA, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

    Paul D. Meesters

  2. Athena Institute, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Lia van der Ham

  3. Department of Clinical Psychology, Grip Psychologen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Marcia Dominicus

  4. Department of Old Age Psychiatry, GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Max L. Stek

  5. Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Max L. Stek & Tineke A. Abma

  6. Department of Medical Humanities, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Tineke A. Abma

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  1. Paul D. Meesters
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  2. Lia van der Ham
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  3. Marcia Dominicus
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  4. Max L. Stek
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  5. Tineke A. Abma
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Correspondence to Paul D. Meesters.

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Meesters, P.D., van der Ham, L., Dominicus, M. et al. Promoting Personal and Social Recovery in Older Persons with Schizophrenia: The Case of The New Club, a Novel Dutch Facility Offering Social Contact and Activities. Community Ment Health J 55, 994–1003 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-019-00389-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-019-00389-6

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