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BACKGROUND: Recovery from mental health challenges is beginning to be explored as an inherently social process. There is a need to measure social recovery. Targeted measures would be utilized in needs assessment, service delivery, and program evaluation. This paper reports on the first stage of development of a social recovery measure. AIMS: Explore the social aspects of recovery as reported by individuals with lived experience. METHOD: A qualitative study using thematic analysis of data from focus groups with 41 individuals in recovery. RESULTS: Three meta-themes of social recovery emerged: community, self-concept, and capacities. Each theme contained a number of sub-themes concerned with a sense of belonging, inherent acceptability of the self, and ability to cope with mental distress and engage socially. CONCLUSIONS: Study participants clearly spoke to common human needs to belong, contribute, and have hope for one's future. Findings converged with results of consumer-led research that emphasize the importance of overcoming the impact of illness on the self and social context.
Casadi “Khaki” Marino (Thu,) studied this question.