Family-focused practice within a recovery framework: practitioners' qualitative perspectives

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Care
• Family Psychology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Family-focused practice (FFP) is recognized for supporting individuals with mental illness.
• The concept of 'recovery' is central to modern mental health care.
• Limited evidence exists on the integration of FFP and recovery principles in practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore mental health practitioners' understanding of FFP within a recovery framework.
• To investigate how FFP is implemented in practice in conjunction with recovery principles.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews were conducted with 11 mental health practitioners in rural Australia.
• Purposive and snowball sampling strategies were employed.
• Thematic analysis guided data collection until saturation was achieved.

Main Results:

• Practitioners struggled to articulate FFP within a recovery framework but described relevant practices.
• Barriers included medical models of care, staff shortages, and high care demands.
• Stigma and confidentiality concerns also hindered family involvement in recovery care.

Conclusions:

• Family-focused recovery care is a priority in high-income countries.
• A dedicated family-focused recovery framework is essential.
• This framework will aid service planners, practitioners, and families in embedding such care into guidelines.