What do we learn from users and carers to provide a recovery-oriented mental health care? The Italian Study on Recovery (S.I.R.) – phase 2

Background/Objectives: Recovery from severe mental illness is related to the idea of developing potentials and regaining a valid social role even with limitations caused by illness. A whole understanding of this subjective and dynamic process is still difficult. A systematic approach to evaluate recovery in people referring to mental health services is then needed in order to test out the efficacy and real utility of currently used practices and interventions.

Methods: The Italian Study on Recovery (S.I.R.) is a multicentre research that involved 14 mental health services from various parts of Italy in the years 2008–2010, recruiting subjects with a diagnosis of psychosis lasting 5 years at least. According to the „Recovery Operational Criteria“, participants were differentiated into two subgroups („in recovery“ vs. „not in recovery“). Recovery was explored quantitatively in S.I.R. phase 1, measuring it through the administration to participants of an Italian translation of the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS). The qualitative approach of phase 2 aimed to identify, through a semi-structured interview to the „in recovery“ subjects, the fundamental elements that fostered or hindered their recovery process. A part of this interview was also extended to some of the subjects’ key relatives.

Results: A total of 156 subjects were participated in phase 1 of S.I.R.; 23 of them, matching the Recovery Operational Criteria, were identified as „in recovery“ and entered phase 2. The qualitative analysis of the collected interviews highlights the importance of some individual as well as service factors in common throughout the various experiences of people recovering from severe mental illness.

Discussion/Conclusions: Quantitative and qualitative results from this research give the opportunity to understand to what extent the existing Italian rehabilitative services actually match the needs for people to recover from severe mental illness and suggest the direction of further research in order to start a transformation to recovery-oriented mental health services.

Funding: None declared.

Keywords: Recovery-oriented interventions, patient outcome assessment, severe mental illness.