An Exploration of how the Concept of Recovery in Mental Health is Socially Constructed and how it Impacts on the Delivery of Mental Health Services - an Irish Case Study

Background & Purpose:The concept of recovery has become a central debate in mental health systems. It is a philosophy which struggles to translate from policy to practice. This research explored the concept of recovery from a social constructionist perspective to determine the impact on recovery-orientated services. There was a specific focus on the conceptualisation of recovery as a personal journey.
Methods: A qualitative case study design supported the in-depth analysis of how services were socially constructed. An interpretivist methodology was adopted to explore the motivations underpinning people s actions within Irish mental health services. The sample included service users, professionals, family members/carers, policy informers. Semi-structured interviews were the chosen method. Thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the data.
Findings: Service users reflected on their shared frustrations concerning the overwhelming focus on them to succeed in their recovery journey. Professionals echoed these experiences, claiming the everyday pressures to measure and be efficient led to service-defined outcomes. Policy influencers reflected on the expectations to develop a similar research base for recovery as seen in psychiatry. Family members spoke of the lack of focus on their own recovery journey.
Conclusions & Implications: Reflecting on the core findings, the discussion centred on the often-disillusioned experiences of stakeholder groups in receipt of recovery-orientated services. The dominant discursive practices neoliberalism and objectification have led to experiences of recovery which are empty and unfulfilled. Finally, the study presents recommendations on how social constructionism, and other social theories derived from thinkers such as Goffman, Aristotle and Levinas, can help mental health systems reflect on the intrinsic meanings of personal recovery in practice.