title: Rebuilding lives and identities: The role of place in recovery among persons with complex needs.
abstract: Photo-elicitation interviews (PEIs) were conducted to explore the role of place in recovery - specifically, narrative identity reconstruction - among persons with complex needs. PEIs with 17 formerly homeless adults with co-occurring disorders in New York City produced 243 photos. Content analysis of photos revealed three categories - apartment, neighborhood and people. Two narrative themes - having my own and civic identity - were mapped onto the apartment and neighborhood categories, respectively. Three additional cross-categorical narrative themes were identified: (re)negotiating relationships and boundaries, moving beyond old identities and future possibilities. Housing was central across themes. Understanding of recovery is enhanced when viewed through participant-controlled visual methods.
authors.affiliation: New York University, Silver School of Social Work, 1Washington Square North, New York, NY 10003-6654, USA. Electronic address: bat234@nyu.edu.
authors.forename: Bikki
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tran Smith
authors.affiliation: New York University, Silver School of Social Work, 1Washington Square North, New York, NY 10003-6654, USA. Electronic address: dkp1@nyu.edu.
authors.forename: Deborah K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Padgett
authors.affiliation: New York University, Silver School of Social Work, 1Washington Square North, New York, NY 10003-6654, USA. Electronic address: mcb428@nyu.edu.
authors.forename: Mimi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Choy-Brown
authors.affiliation: University of Southern California, School of Social Work, Montgomery Ross Fisher Building, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0411, USA. Electronic address: bhenwood@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Benjamin F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Henwood
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D033262:Narration; D009519:New York City; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012649:Self Concept
keywords: Mental health recovery and complex needs; Narrative identity reconstruction; Person–environment interaction; Photo-elicitation interviews; Space and place