The concept of "benefit finding" for people at different stages of recovery from mental illness; a Japanese study.
BACKGROUND
Benefit finding is defined as finding benefits through the struggle with adversity.


OBJECTIVE
This study explored benefit finding at different stages of recovery among people with severe mental illness in Japan.


METHODS
A cross-sectional questionnaire survey, which contained both open-ended questions regarding benefit finding and the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS), was conducted. Of the responses received from 193 (61%) of 319 individuals with mental illness, responses about benefit finding from 94 questionnaires was analyzed using content analysis (males: 57%; females: 43%; average age: 45 years). Each response about benefit finding was classified into one of three groups according to the stages of recovery by their RAS score (i.e. low, middle or high).


RESULTS
The group with higher recovery scores provided more examples of benefit finding, although almost a quarter of examples of benefit finding were provided by the low-RAS group. Different benefit finding characteristics were found between groups of people at different stages of recovery.


CONCLUSIONS
While individuals with higher recovery scores are likely to find a variety of benefits, even individuals with lower recovery scores are capable of benefit finding.
School of Nursing, Jichi Medical University , Tochigi , Japan .
Rie
R
Chiba
Yuki
Y
Miyamoto
Akiko
A
Funakoshi
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D055815:Young Adult