Lived experiences of recalled mentally disordered offenders with dual diagnosis: a qualitative phenomenological study

The lived experience of mentally disordered offenders with dual diagnosis was the focus of this study. Interviews with five recalled service users from a medium secure unit in England were subjected to an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five themes were identified relating to identity, control, autonomy and recovery. Clinical implications include increasing service users’ awareness of available post-diagnosis identities, which meet the needs of individuals’ lived contexts and promotion of recovery-oriented care in forensic settings.