Personal Recovery in the Postdischarge Period for Individuals With Schizophrenia Spectrum Diagnoses: The Role of Community Integration and Social Support

• Published in: Psychiatric rehabilitation journal 2022-06, Vol.45 (2), p.176-182
• Main Authors: Mutschler, Christina, Lichtenstein, Sidney, Yan, Sandra, Blair, Fionna, Davidson, Larry, Mihalakakos, George, Kidd, Sean A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aftercare; Community Health; Community Integration; Female; Hospitalization; Human; Humans; Inpatient; Intervention; Male; Medical diagnosis; Mental Health; Mental health care; Patient Discharge; Psychiatric Evaluation; Recovery (Disorders); Recovery (Medical); Schizophrenia; Social Integration; Social Support
• ISSN: 1095-158X; 1559-3126
• DOI: 10.1037/prj0000513

Objective: The experience of personal recovery from mental health has been theorized to occur through several pathways. CHIME is a seminal theoretical framework of personal recovery that is widely endorsed by the existing literature. Few studies have examined the utility of the CHIME framework with those experiencing acute challenges in their engagement in the recovery process. The purpose of the present study was to examine part of the CHIME framework for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses in the period immediately following hospitalization. Specifically, the impact of social support and community integration on personal recovery was examined. Methods: The present study involved a secondary analysis of a Phase 2 clinical trial. Assessment measures were administered to participants 1-month (n = 82) and 6-months (n = 72) postdischarge from a psychiatric hospital. Hierarchical regression and mediation analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between social support, community integration, and 1-month and 6-month personal recovery. Results: Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that community integration and social support significantly predicted personal recovery. Mediation analyses indicated social support partially accounts for the relationship between community integration and personal recovery at 1- and 6-months postdischarge, providing evidence for social support as a mechanism of personal recovery during this time. Conclusion and Implications for Practice: This quantitative investigation of CHIME highlights the mechanism of social support for individuals who are experiencing acute challenges in their recovery. These findings point to the need for interventions that enhance community integration and social support postdischarge. Impact and Implications The results of the present study suggest that social support is a significant mediator in the relationship between community integration and personal recovery for those who have recently been discharged from inpatient psychiatric hospital. These results can be used to inform the development of recovery-promoting interventions for individual's postdischarge.