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Confusion of recovery: one solution
1School of Nursing, University of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester, UK. e.collier@salford.ac.uk
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing
|January 16, 2010
Summary
The study clarifies the concept of recovery in mental health, distinguishing between medical cure and personal life recovery. It suggests that conflating these two meanings hinders understanding of individual growth and experiences beyond symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Mental Health
- Social Sciences
Background:
- The current mental health discourse often redefines 'recovery,' leading to ambiguity.
- The term 'recovery' is used interchangeably for both medical cure and personal growth, causing confusion.
- Research on 'getting better' from conditions like schizophrenia perpetuates this conflation of medical and non-medical recovery concepts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the meaning of 'recovery' in mental health discourse.
- To differentiate between 'medical recovery' (cure) and 'life recovery' (personal development).
- To challenge the prevailing use of medical terminology in non-medical contexts of recovery.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of the term 'recovery' in mental health literature.
- Examination of existing research and narratives surrounding mental health recovery.
- Distinguishing between two distinct concepts conflated under the single term 'recovery'.
Main Results:
- The paper identifies two distinct concepts: 'medical recovery' (cure) and 'life recovery' (personal development and change).
- It suggests that 'life recovery' may be independent of psychiatric classification and symptom improvement.
- 'Medical recovery' is presented as subordinate to the broader concept of 'life recovery'.
Conclusions:
- The confusion surrounding 'recovery' stems from conflating two different meanings: cure and personal growth.
- Adopting a clearer distinction between 'medical recovery' and 'life recovery' can enhance understanding of mental health experiences.
- Personal development and life changes, central to 'life recovery,' may occur irrespective of traditional medical outcomes or symptom reduction.
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