Sociologic recovery –

The social logic of recovery as inclusion and practical participation in communities

 

This homepage provides information on research and discussions of recovery from mental illness, as well as the development from 2000 to 2005 of mental health services in Denmark that support recovery from mental illness. In particular, I argue for a sociological understanding of recovery – as social inclusion – depending on the practical in/exclusion from participation in social communities and concrete support, work and activity to change patterns of thought, perception and actions.

 

Presentation of main attempts of recovery orientation in the mental health system in Denmark

Since the year of 2000 in the light of the ongoing focus on user’s influence, (human) resources, personal competences and free choice of treatment, some users and professionals in the mental health system in Denmark have argued for changes in the mental health system that reflect the possibility of recovery from mental illness. Contending that mental illness is not a chronic phenomenon and that recovery from all kinds of mental illnesses is possible, they stress that both medical, therapeutic and social psychiatric services should be more supportive of users' individual efforts and wishes.

This development has lead to political programs seeking to promote the vision that recovery from mental illness is possible, and construction of new projects and initiatives 2002-2005. In my master thesis (Falk Andersen 2005), I outline five main strategies of attempting to promote practical work with recovery:

  1. Educational/learning programs and projects in recovery for professionals and users

  2. Voluntary and professionally organized recovery-courses, using mainly a specific psychological self-help method (Recovery Action Plan by Mary Ellen Copeland).

  3. Integration of recovery as a grounding value in psychiatric treatment – increased focus on hope, rehabilitation and future-perspectives

  4. Occupational-Programs working increasingly to strengthen/rehabilitate work/employment capabilities of mentally ill people.

  5. Projects using social-network therapy to strengthen relationships between mentally ill people and the surrounding environment of family, work and social authorities.

    These strategies can be viewed as main practical ways of dealing with recovery orientation – trying to promote recovery in the mental health services in Denmark. In my MA-thesis at Roskilde University, Denmark (RUC), I examined how these practical strategies of recoveryorientation are related to change and/or reproduction of the struggles for the power to define and intervene with mental illness in Denmark (symbolic power). Learn more about this sociological approach to recovery, read an overview of humanist and social science research in psychiatry, recovery and mental illness on this Webpage, plus find links to the MA-thesis and articles.

 My background, sources of inspiration and knowledge, future plans:

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Life-long experience being a close, family member of a person with a severe mental illness. This awoke my curiousness into how persons suffering from mental illness – and from social exclusion, loneliness, decreased every-day activities and equality of life, can be supported.

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BA-thesis (RUC, 2002) – qualitative examination of how persons with mental illness cope and manage psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, plus social stigmatization in terms of their personal identity/self-understanding. How do they cope in terms of changed self-understanding? Conducted through (life-story) interviews with persons with a psychiatric diagnosis (Narrative-phenomenological approach), with the use of social-psychological theory (Erving Goffman) on stigmatization and social identity.

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Trainee-period at the Danish National Institute of Social Research (SFI, 2003) – undertaking quantitative analysis of surveys of patients’ opinions of the treatment in psychiatric hospitals in Nordjyllands Amt – results given in two reports for the Board of Psychiatry, Nordjyllands Amt.

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MA-thesis (RUC, submitted august 24, 2005) – examining how the various initiatives established in order to promote the vision that recovery from mental illness are related to change/reproduction of the power to define and intervene with mental illness. In what areas are practices (hierarchies and symbols of organizing, intervening and understanding) changed and reproduced? Conducted on the basis of the sociological theories of Pierre Bourdieu, analysis of both empirical documents, and observations at a psychiatric unit and a recovery-course held by the Danish users’ movement.

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Currently employed in County of Copenhagen developing and evaluating mental health services oriented towards recovery through social inclusion. Planning a future Ph.D.-project.

Interested in evaluation, research, development or information on recovery orientation through the strengthening of socially including mental health practices?? - Please feel free to contact me.  

 Literature/notes:

Falk Andersen, C. (2005): "Recoveryorientering i Psykiatrien - forandring og reproduktion i måder at arbejde med sindslidelser"

[“Recoveryorientation in Psychiatry – Change and Reproduction in Practical Strategies of Working with Mental Illness”, MA-thesis, in Danish, Department of Social Sciences & Department of Psychology, Roskilde University. Advisors: Triantafillou, P. & Ellegaard, T.]