The lived experience of mental health service users in a UK community rehabilitation scheme

Aims: There is a paucity of research on the lived experience of mental health service users in community rehabilitation services. This exploratory study researched this phenomenon within one UK community rehabilitation scheme. Methods: A non-experimental phenomenological design and analysis of semi-structured interviews enabled an exploratory description of the phenomenon. Use of this design was based on policy recommendations and gaps in the literature on the lived experience of users. Findings: Interpretative phenomenological analysis of data yielded five overarching themes not previously reported: belief about mental illness; the value of independence; community rehabilitation scheme accommodation/peer relationships; adjusting to a community setting; and feeling involved in care; all of which emerged from 64 sub-themes related to the phenomenon. Conclusions: The study revealed shared and unique experiences and highlighted how being cared for within a community mental health rehabilitation service involved users carefully/logically weighing up gains/disadvantages; such as being provided with accommodation/financial benefits together with feeling 'labelled'/coping with a potentially stigmatising diagnosis. The study yielded rich and varied data as individual experiences are posited as differing according to users' own perceptions, experiences and social context. Implications are discussed for professionals working in community mental health rehabilitation settings.