Exploring recovery from the perspective of people with psychiatric disabilities

Although rbe concept of recovery from severe psychiatric disability is being discussed and written about with increasing frequency, little consensus has been reached about the nature of this phenomenon. The purpose of the current study was to explore the meaning of the recovery process from the perspective of mental health consumers. Seven semi-structured qualitative interviews and two focus group discussions were carried out with a total of 18 people, and grounded theory analysis was used to identify common, underlying components of the recovery process. A model of the recovery process was developed, which included the higher order categories that recovery is a process of I) overcoming "stuckness," 2) discovering and fostering self-empowerment, 3) learning and self-redefinition 4) returning to basic functioning, and 5) improving quality of life. The relationship between the current model and the existing literature on the recovery process is discussed.