Chapter 4 - Recovery and Mental Illness

Summary

In Chapter 4, we introduce the concept of recovery, differentiating clinical and personal recovery. Research demonstrates that a substantial proportion of individuals with severe mental illness achieve clinical recovery in terms of symptom remission and good functional level. Individuals who themselves suffer from mental illness have called for a different understanding of recovery, personal recovery, that emphasizes living a good life. Research into personal recovery shows that key themes include hope, positive identity, social connection, meaning, and responsibility for one’s illness. We discuss how these themes overlap with well-being and how achieving well-being is an important goal for individuals with mental illness, a goal that differs from symptom remission. We close the chapter by explaining how our analyses extend research into personal recovery by providing insights into the narrative identity costs individuals may need to recover from and narrative identity resources crucial to well-being. In short, narrative identity is crucial to understanding and facilitating personal recovery.