Socially Valued Roles, Self-Determination, and Community Participation among Individuals Living with Serious Mental Illnesses.

Decades after deinstitutionalization, individuals living with serious mental illnesses remain isolated, socially disengaged, and devalued members of communities. Burgeoning research and services need conceptual clarity to improve such social conditions. This qualitative inquiry used grounded theory and participatory approaches to conduct an in-depth exploration of community participation for individuals living with serious mental illnesses based on key stakeholder perspectives (n = 45). Results revealed that community participation is a multifaceted construct with layers of meaning for individuals living with serious mental illnesses. Overarching themes are contextualized in Self-Determination Theory and presented with deidentified illustrations. Implications for services, research, and policy are discussed.

Personal and societal benefits of providing peer support: a survey of peer support specialists.

OBJECTIVE: Peer-delivered services have burgeoned, and evidence of the effectiveness of peer support is increasing. However, the potential benefits to peer support specialists (PSSs) themselves are not as well understood. The authors conducted a survey of PSSs to examine potential benefits. METHODS: A survey instrument was developed and refined and sent anonymously via the Internet to PSSs who had been employed for a minimum of two months by an agency that employs a large number of PSSs. RESULTS: A total of 253 respondents completed the survey (70% response rate). Respondents reported a variety of benefits in the intrapersonal, social, mental health, recovery, spiritual, and professional domains. Forty percent of respondents reported discontinuing at least one type of disability or social benefit. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that employment as a PSS is a potent vehicle for improving recovery and quality of life. Results accrue to society in reduction of public benefits.

Results of an innovative university-based recovery education program for adults with psychiatric disabilities.

This study examined the effectiveness of an educational approach to psychiatric rehabilitation called the Recovery Center. Using a quasi-experimental design we recruited 97 intervention and 81 comparison participants and examined the intervention's impact on health, mental health, subjective, and role functioning outcomes. Results suggested that this intervention was effective in improving subjective outcomes, especially empowerment and recovery attitudes, both of which received primary emphasis in the intervention. The Recovery Center, which integrates a bio-psychosocial framework with psycho-educational interventions shows promise as a complement to traditional mental health services in developing readiness for rehabilitation and promoting recovery among individuals with severe psychiatric disabilities.