title: A Mixed-Methods Study of the Recovery Concept, "A Meaningful Day," in Community Mental Health Services for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses.
abstract: The recovery concept encompasses overcoming or managing one's illness, being physically and emotionally healthy, and finding meaningful purpose through work, school, or volunteering, which connects one to others in mutually fulfilling ways. Using a mixed-methods approach, we studied the emphasis on "a meaningful day" in the new Opening Doors to Recovery (ODR) program in southeast Georgia. Among 100 participants, we measured the meaningful day construct using three quantitative items at baseline (hospital discharge) and at 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-up, finding statistically significant linear trends over time for all three measures. Complementary qualitative interviews with 30 individuals (ODR participants, family members, and ODR's Community Navigation Specialists and program leaders) revealed themes pertaining to companionship, productivity, achieving stability, and autonomy, as well as the concern about insufficient resources. The concept of "a meaningful day" can be a focus of clinical attention and measured as a person-centered outcome for clients served by recovery-oriented community mental health services.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Neely A L
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: Pineland Behavioral Health/Developmental Disabilities, Statesboro, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Pineland Behavioral Health/Developmental Disabilities, Statesboro, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pope
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Yazeed
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Alolayan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Lenox Hill Hospital, 111 E. 77th Street, New York, NY, 10075, USA.
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Broussard
authors.affiliation: Savannah Affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Savannah, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Lenox Hill Hospital, 111 E. 77th Street, New York, NY, 10075, USA. mcompton@nshs.edu.|Department of Psychiatry, Hofstra North Shore - LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA. mcompton@nshs.edu.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Compton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Community mental health; Meaningful day; Recovery; Serious mental illness