(Re)Defining My Self: Women's Process of Recovery from Depression

This grounded theory study examined the process of recovery for women who have been depressed. Twenty-one women who identified themselves as having recovered from depression were recruited through a snowball sampling approach. Women described a basic social psychological process involved in recovery from depression as (Re)Defining My Self, a process that consists of six phases. The women were interviewed and the interviews were audiotaped and transcribed for analysis. The data were analyzed through the constant comparison grounded theory method as developed by Glaser and Strauss and refined by Glaser and Stern. This research builds on existing research by expanding our understanding of the concept of recovery from depression. The study augments our understanding of women's experience with depression by enabling us to better understand the context and the meanings that link the variables that have been studied but remain elusive.