title: Study protocol: a mixed methods study to assess mental health recovery, shared decision-making and quality of life (Plan4Recovery).
abstract: Recovery in mental health care is complex, highly individual and can be facilitated by a range of professional and non-professional support. In this study we will examine how recovery from mental health problems is promoted in non-medical settings. We hypothesise a relationship between involvement in decisions about care, social support and recovery and quality of life outcomes.
  
  
  
  We will use standardised validated instruments of involvement in decision-making, social contacts, recovery and quality of life with a random sample of people accessing non-statutory mental health social care services in Wales. We will add to this important information with detailed one to one case study interviews with people, their family members and their support workers. We will use a series of these interviews to examine how people build recovery over time to help us understand more about their involvement in decisions and the social links they build.
  
  
  
  We want to see how being involved in decisions about care and the social links people have are related to recovery and quality of life for people with experience of using mental health support services. We want to understand the different perspectives of the people involved in making recovery possible. We will use this information to guide further studies of particular types of social interventions and their use in helping recovery from mental health problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Policy and Social Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK. m.j.coffey@swansea.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0380-4704
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coffey
authors.affiliation: School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hannigan
authors.affiliation: Caerphilly Mind, Caerphilly, UK.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meudell
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Policy and Social Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.affiliation: Swansea Centre for Health Economics, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: Deb
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fitzsimmons
mesh_terms: D000066491:Clinical Decision-Making / Q000379:methods; D003657:Decision Making; D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D014852:Wales
keywords: Mental health; Quality of life; Recovery; Shared decision making; Social support; Wales