title: Helping partnerships that facilitate recovery from severe mental illness.
abstract: The intent of this study was to learn how consumers experience helping partnerships that assist them in recovery to inform families, professionals, and peers about meaningful actions and strategies that promote the healing process. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 10 individuals who had a self-reported diagnosis of severe mental illness. Using the phenomenological research process, helping partnerships and how they develop were described. Six key themes emerged from the data and included Networks of Helping Partnerships, Teaching-Learning, Spirituality, Creative Drive, Time, and Medication Adherence. Characteristics and behaviors of helping partners were identified, as well as structures that promoted their development. Educating the public, consumers, and mental health professionals about how to promote recovery, the role of spirituality and creativity, the benefits of medication and therapy, and the impact of learning on progressing through recovery can go a long way toward eliminating the mystery and fear associated with mental illness.
authors.affiliation: Ohio Department of Mental Health, Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare-Toledo Campus, Toledo, Ohio 43614, USA. anthonyk@mh.state.oh.us
authors.forename: Kathleen Hope
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Anthony
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003289:Convalescence / Q000523:psychology; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003405:Creativity; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010379:Peer Group; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires