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Hegde S, Quadros S, Appaji R, Acharya VA. 'Life Minus Illness = Recovery': A Phenomenological Study About Experiences and Meanings of Recovery Among Individuals with Serious Mental Illness from Southern India. Community Ment Health J 2024:10.1007/s10597-024-01312-4. [PMID: 38965142 DOI: 10.1007/s10597-024-01312-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Traditional medical models have given way to recovery-oriented approaches over the years in the management of individuals with serious mental illnesses. However, very little is known about such recovery-based models in the Indian context. This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to explore the experiences and meanings of recovery among individuals with serious mental illness in southern India. Purposive sampling with maximum variation was used to recruit participants. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten participants, using a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic analysis resulted in three themes: "The illness journey," "Life minus illness = Recovery," and "It takes a village to recover,". Illness and recovery seemed to be two sides of the same coin with the context playing an influential role in the perceptions of recovery. The term "recovery" seemed to be a misnomer giving the impression that one is expected to return to an illness free state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srishti Hegde
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Shalini Quadros
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Rashmi Appaji
- Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
- Department of Psychiatry, Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Vinita A Acharya
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India.
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Dulek EB, Stein CH. The Way I See It: Older Adults with Mental Illness Share Their Views of Community Life Using Photovoice. Community Ment Health J 2024; 60:457-469. [PMID: 37874437 DOI: 10.1007/s10597-023-01192-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
The importance of community involvement for both older adults and individuals coping with mental illness is well documented. Yet, barriers to community integration for adults with mental illness such as social stigma, discrimination, and economic marginalization are often exacerbated by increased health and mobility challenges among older adults. Using photovoice, nine older adults with mental illness represented their views of community in photographs and group discussions over a six-week period. Participant themes of community life included physical spaces, valued social roles, and access to resources in the community. Themes were anchored by older adults' perceptions of historical and cultural time comparisons between 'how things used to be' and 'how things are now.' Barriers to community integration were often related to factors such as age, mobility, and resources rather than to mental health status. Program evaluation results suggest photovoice can promote self-reflection, learning, and collaboration among older adults with mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin B Dulek
- Milwaukee VA Medical Center, 5000 W. National Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53295, USA.
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Thomas E, Benjamin-Thomas TE, Sithambaram A, Shankar J, Chen SP. Participatory Action Research Among People With Serious Mental Illness: A Scoping Review. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2024; 34:3-19. [PMID: 37929751 PMCID: PMC10714715 DOI: 10.1177/10497323231208111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Participatory action research (PAR) is a research approach that creates spaces for marginalized individuals and communities to be co-researchers to guide relevant social change. While working toward social transformation, all members of the PAR team often experience personal transformation. Engaging people with serious mental illness (PSMI) in PAR helps them to develop skills and build relationships with stakeholders in their communities. It supports positive changes that persist after the completion of the formal research project. With the increasing recognition of PAR's value in PSMI, it is helpful to consider the challenges and advantages of this approach to research with this population. This review aimed at determining how PAR has been conducted with PSMI and at summarizing strategies used to empower PSMI as co-researchers by engaging them in research. This scoping review followed five steps Arkesy and O'Malley (2005) outlined. We charted, collated, and summarized relevant information from 87 studies that met the inclusion criteria. We identified five strategies to empower PSMI through PAR. These are to build capacity, balance power distribution, create collaborative environments, promote peer support, and enhance their engagement as co-researchers. In conclusion, PAR is an efficient research approach to engage PSMI. Further, PSMI who engage in PAR may benefit from strategies for empowerment that meet their unique needs as co-researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabethmary Thomas
- Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Health Sciences University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Abirame Sithambaram
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (Online program), Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Janki Shankar
- Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Shu-Ping Chen
- Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Health Sciences University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Xavier SM, Barbosa S, Correia AF, Dindo V, Sequeira M, Maia T, Goes AR. Images that speak: A Portuguese Photovoice study on the psychosocial experience of a migrant population from Cape Verde after a first episode of psychosis. Transcult Psychiatry 2023:13634615231187252. [PMID: 37519012 DOI: 10.1177/13634615231187252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Several migrant populations have been identified worldwide as high-risk groups for psychosis because of their experience of social adversity. Recent evidence suggests that the local contexts in which these populations live should be addressed in their complexity to take into account individual and larger societal environmental aspects. This study aimed to assess the lived experiences of a group of migrant Cape Verdean patients, who had been recently hospitalized for a first episode of psychosis in a mental health service on the outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal. The study used Photovoice, a qualitative participatory research method in which people's experiences are documented through photography. Six individuals were recruited, and five weekly sessions were conducted to collect data that were analyzed thematically. Emergent themes addressed two main categories of well-being and illness. Participant concepts of well-being were rooted in a definition of freedom encompassing cultural expression, conveyed by familiar environments and supporting communities. Cultural differences may be experienced as important obstacles for well-being and can be associated with feelings of oppression and guilt. Participants' accounts focused on positive aspects of life despite illness and on personal concepts of recovery. The study findings contribute to knowledge of the dynamics of migrants' social experience and underscore the importance of socially and culturally informed mental healthcare institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Vera Dindo
- Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca
- Sahlgrenska University Hospital
| | - Márcia Sequeira
- Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca
- Hunter New England Health District
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Levy-Fenner E, Colucci E, McDonough S. Lived Experiences of Mental Health Recovery in Persons of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Backgrounds within the Australian Context. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOSOCIAL REHABILITATION AND MENTAL HEALTH 2022:1-26. [PMID: 36533215 PMCID: PMC9735058 DOI: 10.1007/s40737-022-00319-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Lived experience research related to mental health recovery is advancing, but there remains a lack of narrative material from the perspectives of people from under-represented, non-dominant cultural backgrounds in this domain. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of mental health recovery in people of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in the Australian context. The current study involved a secondary analysis of audio and visual data collected during the digital storytelling project Finding our way in Melbourne, Australia. Thematic analysis was used to understand the lived experience narratives of nine participants in relation to mental health recovery. Five themes were identified through an iterative process of analysis, including Newfound opportunities and care, Family as key motivators and facilitators, Coping and generativity, Cultivating self-understanding and resilience, and Empowerment through social engagement. First person lived experience narratives offer deep insight into understanding the ways in which individuals of marginalised communities conceptualise and embody recovery. These findings further the literature and understanding on how to better serve the needs of people with mental health challenges from CALD communities through informed knowledge of what may be helpful to, and meaningful in, individuals' recoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Levy-Fenner
- Department of Psychology, Middlesex University, London, UK
| | - E. Colucci
- Department of Psychology, Middlesex University, London, UK
- Global and Cultural Mental Health Unit, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - S. McDonough
- Victorian Transcultural Mental Health, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- Australian Institute for Primary Care and Ageing, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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Doroud N, Fossey E, Fortune T, Brophy L, Mountford L. A journey of living well: a participatory photovoice study exploring recovery and everyday activities with people experiencing mental illness. J Ment Health 2021; 31:246-254. [PMID: 34269637 DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2021.1952950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Engagement in everyday activities has been identified as an important element in personal recovery from the experience of mental illness and a key priority for service-users. This study explored the role of everyday activities in recovery. METHOD This study used a photovoice participatory research. Twenty-one participants experiencing mental illness were recruited from a community-managed mental health service in Melbourne, Australia. Data collection included individual interviews and photovoice courses. The courses included group discussions and required participants to take photographs about their everyday activities that support recovery. A lived experience co-facilitator contributed to development and delivery of the course. The interviews and group discussions were transcribed verbatim and analysed using constant comparative methods. RESULTS Recovery as a "journey of living well" was identified as the central theme that encompasses three interlinked categories: (1) living a life on hold; (2) choosing to recover; and (3) learning and navigating strategies. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that recovery involves a range of experiences embedded in people's everyday lives. Recovery-oriented practice should provide opportunities for engagement in meaningful activities, to help consumers identify their potential and strategies to live well, and to adopt co-production at all levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nastaran Doroud
- Occupational Therapy Discipline, Rural Department of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ellie Fossey
- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.,Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tracy Fortune
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Social Policy, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lisa Brophy
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Social Policy, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Louise Mountford
- Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.,Possability, Victoria, Australia
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