Social relationships as a decisive factor in recovering from severe mental illness.
BACKGROUND
Recovery research often describes recovery from mental illness as a complex individual process. In this article a social perspective on recovery is developed.


OBJECTIVE
To ascertain which factors people regard as decisive to their own recovery and what makes them beneficial.


METHODS
In-depth interviews were conducted with 58 persons in Sweden who had recovered from severe mental illness. Interviews were qualitatively analyzed using grounded theory.


RESULTS
Three dimensions of contributing recovery factors were identified. Social relationships emerged as the core category throughout these dimensions.


CONCLUSIONS
The results show that recovery processes are social processes in which social relationships play a key role.
Schön
Ulla-Karin
UK
Department of Social Work, Stockholm University, Sweden. ulla-karin.schon@socarb.su.se
Denhov
Anne
A
Topor
Alain
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002605:Character; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003469:Culture; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs