Recovery from severe mental illness in Quebec: The role of culture and place

This paper examines the role of culture and place in recovery from severe mental illness amongst a group of Quebecois living in Montreal, Canada. Results indicate that dominant cultural characteristics of Quebecois, such as a marked Roman Catholic heritage, use of the French language and a close affiliation with the natural territory of Quebec can all play important roles in recovery from severe mental illness. The findings suggest that participants weave together places with cultural, familial and personal meaning to create their own healing landscapes. We propose ways to leverage place and dominant cultural traits to facilitate recovery.