Recovery Programs for People With Mental Illness in Taiwan: A Feasibility Study

IMPORTANCE: Most recovery programs have been developed in Western countries. This study explores the cultural adaptation of a recovery program to a non-Western country. OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility of a recovery group developed for people with mental illness in Taiwan. DESIGN: Mixed-methods feasibility study. SETTING: Community psychiatric rehabilitation center in southern Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four people with mental illness living in the community. INTERVENTION: The authors designed a recovery group based on the Pathways to Recovery program and the mental health recovery literature. The curriculum included two phases: recovery profile and recovery plan. The group gathered for a 1-hr session once a week for 18 wk. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Outcomes were assessed preintervention, mid-intervention, and postintervention. Data collected included Stages of Recovery Scale (SRS) scores, course assessments, and course discussions. RESULTS: Most participants were satisfied with the recovery program and its implementation. Scores on the Social Functioning/Role Performance subscale of the SRS showed a medium to large effect size (r = .36) for the Recovery Stage 1-3 subsample (n = 16). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: This study affirmed the feasibility of a recovery group for people with mental illness in Taiwan. Prospective randomized controlled trials should be used to verify recovery groups' effectiveness. WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS: Recovery programs tailored to people with mental illness in non-Western countries may need more examples and longer sessions to enable participants to fully understand and implement the concepts of recovery.