The Road to Recovery Is a Constant Struggle.

For people who suffer from mental illness. Not only do these individuals hope that someday they will get better; they will also wonder if they will be able to live a satisfying life after recovery. Most of the clients said that their road to recovery was not a straight path that it was filled with ups and downs. Some stated that they experienced triumphs, but they also suffered several setbacks. Some stated that those setbacks were usually followed with bouts of discouragements, however, when this occurred, they drew strength from it.

Some claimed that the journey to a full recovery takes time, but the positive outcome was worth the struggle they went through. The participants in this study realized the first step to recovery started when they realized that they had to make a change in their life.

The data that was collected for this particular study was done over a 12-month period of time, through a one-on-one monthly meeting with 11 participants who opted to participate in this year-long study.

According to the article, “Little is known about the recovery experiences of individuals who experience Severe Mental Illness (SMI) that are considered hard to engage.” (Milbourn, B.) The objective was to collect data from these individuals who were living with severe mental illness. The purpose of this study was to help caseworkers better understand their clients and then bring back hope and meaning into their lives.

The focus of the study was to determine what mental illness meant to the people who were participating.

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It was hoped that this understanding would shed light on individual experiences. It also provided the opportunity for the individuals themselves to understand their own suffering better, and perhaps make important changes in their attitudes and lives. The researchers of this study collected data from people who were living with SMI because such people are often difficult to engage in ongoing treatment facilities. Research studies have shown that people with occurring mental disorders are difficult to engage in treatment and are often resistant to put forth any effort into their treatment. It is this unwillingness to engage in treatment process that limits their recovery. The article stated, “In order to get a better understanding of the everyday experiences of the road to recovery, a longitudinal was designed and required to provide more than just a snapshot, but to also capture the rich texture of the individual’s everyday lives experiences.”

As a result, the study was designed to identify the four personal recovery areas: hope, personal responsibility, identity, and meaning. Hope involves expecting to lead a happy and fulfilling life. Personal responsibility encourages an individual to take ownership of their own actions. Meaning relates to understanding oneself, and identity offers a sense of who someone is. “The World Health Organization encompasses mental health services that are designed with recovery-based approaches that will best help and support the aspirations and goals of individuals living with SMI.” (World Health Organization) The definition of “hard to engage” varies from person to person but is based on the severity of each individual case and stages of recovery. However, for this study, the World Health Organization adopted a different approach: Assertive Community Treatment (ACT). This program was designed especially for “People that have a history of erratic or poor engagement with mental health services.” (Government) The caseworkers worked under this assumption to identify participants that would be suitable for this study. Individuals who qualified for the 12-month study had to sign a consent form before participation.