Reconnecting with life: a grounded theory study of mental health recovery in Ireland

Background The concept of recovery has become central to international mental health policy and service planning. At present there, however, is no unified theory of mental health recovery available to guide clinical practice.Aim The aim of this study was to develop a coherent theory of recovering fr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of mental health (Abingdon, England) England), 2012-04, Vol.21 (2), p.135-143
Main Authors: KARTALOVA-O'DOHERTY, YULIA, STEVENSON, CHRIS, HIGGINS, AGNES
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Aged
Attitudes
Clinical outcomes
Clinical practice
Female
Grounded theory
Health care policy
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
interviews
Ireland
Male
Mental Disorders - rehabilitation
Mental health
Mental health care
Mental health policy
Middle Aged
Psychological Theory
Qualitative Research
Quality of life
reconnecting
Recovery
Self Concept
Social Support
subjective experiences
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Summary:Background The concept of recovery has become central to international mental health policy and service planning. At present there, however, is no unified theory of mental health recovery available to guide clinical practice.Aim The aim of this study was to develop a coherent theory of recovering from mental health problems from the point of view of those recovering in Ireland.Methods The study was guided by classic grounded theory and based on individual interviews with 32 volunteers who had experienced mental health problems.Results The participants' main concern was identified as striving to reconnect with life. The core category of reconnecting with life had three interactive subcategories: (1) reconnecting with self through accepting oneself as a worthy human being capable of positive change; (2) reconnecting with others through accepting and validating interaction; (3) reconnecting with time, through getting a glimpse of positive future, coming to terms with the past, and actively shaping and executing one's present and future.Conclusions The study shows that accepting, validating and the hope-instilling interaction can facilitate the process of reconnecting with life and is, therefore, crucial for recovery-oriented care.
ISSN:0963-8237
1360-0567
DOI:10.3109/09638237.2011.621467