Mental health articles

Recovery-oriented care should be designed with a clearly defined end (Adams & Grieder,2005; Davidson et al., 2009). The goal in recovery is to help consumers live a personally meaningful life, which may be achieved through full recovery (i.e., no symptoms) or social recovery (i.e., satisfying social life using medications or other strategies to manage symptoms).

Based on the work of Seikkula (2002) and his colleagues inFinland, substantial recovery from psychotic disorders can be expected in 2 years using a recovery-oriented, collaborative approach.

Services should wind down or end when consumers are maintaining meaningful relationships,employment, and social interactions, having attained a generally satisfying life with stable housing and financial resources. At this point, therapists, consumers, psychiatrists, and concerned others should discuss whether or not medications are likely to be useful and desired for sustaining recovery as well as identify various possibilities for using medications to support recovery over the long term. Similarly, consumers should also consider which types of supportive services are most likely to be useful in maintaining recovery and which will be the first reaccessed should difficulties arise in the future. When consumers end formal services, they and significant others in their lives should meet with the therapist to identify the plans for sustained recovery, warning signs of relapse, and action steps in case of relapse.

Tags: maintenance, recovery, recovery maintenance