Exploring recovery from the perspective of people with psychiatric disabilities

Although rbe concept of recovery from severe psychiatric disability is bein g discussed and written about with increasing frequency, little consensus h as been reached about the nature of this phenomenon. The purpose of the cur rent study was to explore the meaning of the recovery process from the pers pective of mental health consumers. Seven semi-structured qualitative inter views and two focus group discussions were carried out with a total of 18 p eople, and grounded theory analysis was used to identify common, underlying components of the recovery process. A model of the recovery process was de veloped, which included the higher order categories that recovery is a proc ess of I) overcoming "stuckness," 2) discovering and fostering self-empower ment, 3) learning and self-redefinition 4) returning to basic functioning, and 5) improving quality of life. The relationship between the current mode l and the existing literature on the recovery process is discussed.