Contributing to 'a sense of purpose' - Evaluating consumer recovery progress after attending a therapeutic-recreation intervention programme: A quantitative analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The recommended objective for mental health plans and policies is the adoption of recovery approaches to mental healthcare. Mental health recovery is no longer defined by symptom resolution but as a journey towards a meaningful life from the consumer's own perspective. Recovery approaches focus on consumers' strengths, feelings of well-being and the achievement of personal goals. Designing recovery-oriented interventions is crucial for supporting people in their personal recovery journey. AIM: This study sought to evaluate how attending a recovery-oriented intervention impacts the recovery of attending people living with serious mental illness. METHODS: A quasi-experimental approach was utilised to examine changes in self-reported recovery progress in a purposive sample of consumers living with enduring mental illness (N = 105). Recovery progress was evaluated via the Recovery Assessment Scale - Domains and Stages (RAS-DS). Data were collected at entry and exit to a therapeutic recreation programme grounded in principles of recovery-oriented care and social contact theory. Pre-post scores were analysed via a repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (RM-MANOVA) per the four RAS-DS recovery domains. RESULTS: After attending the therapeutic recreation programme, consumer recovery scores significantly increased in the functional, personal, and social recovery RAS-DS domains as measured by 'Doing Things I Value', 'Looking Forward', and 'Connecting and Belonging' (respectively). No changes were observed to consumers' clinical recovery progress, as assessed via the recovery domain 'Mastering my Illness'. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that therapeutic recreation camps can provide a recovery-based approach to mental healthcare, with positive effects on the three areas of: a purposeful life; connection and belonging; and optimism and hope. Recovery Camp has been previously identified by the Productivity Commission as having potential person-centred recovery benefits for mental health consumers. The results of this study now establish these benefits as evidence based and can be used to guide mental health practice and policy for the implementation of therapeutic recreation camps for mental health recovery.

Connection and recovery in the COVID-19 age: An analysis of changes in goal-setting throughout the pandemic by consumers living with enduring mental illness.

Goal-setting is a tool that empowers consumer recovery. Though the pandemic has affected consumer goal-setting, the nature and extent of this impact have not been examined in a recovery setting. The aim of this study is to assess whether the recovery goals of individuals with serious mental illness changed in association with the COVID-19 pandemic. In this mixed-methods design, data were collected from a purposeful sample of consumers (nTOTAL = 355) aged 19-67 years (MAGE = 44.56, SD = 13.05) attending Recovery Camp, a 5-day therapeutic-recreation programme for individuals living with severe mental illness (e.g., PTSD, schizophrenia). Consumer-set goals were examined across 5 programmes prior to March 2020 (nPRE = 126) and 11 following (nPOST = 229). Goals were set on day one, with attainment self-scored on day five. Chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests compared goal proportions per domain; tests of independence assessed changes in goals pre- and post-pandemic. Six goal domains were identified: Approach-Based Recovery, Avoidance-based Recovery, Novel Physical Activities, Relationships, Health, and Recreation/Relaxation. Irrespective of the pandemic, goal attainment was consistently high across all programmes (86.56%). Approach-based Recovery goals were predominant pre-pandemic, but were significantly reduced post-pandemic (p = 0.040). Goals related to Relationships and Novel Physical Activities took precedence throughout the pandemic. Post-COVID-19, consumer recovery goals reveal increased desire for connection, novelty-seeking, and positive behavioural change.

Experiences of recovery among adults with a mental illness using visual art methods: A systematic review.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Arts-based research is an established and accepted research approach and systematic reviews have been published on this methodology. There are many possible data collection techniques and study designs within arts-based research, which have been implemented but not yet systematically reviewed. Rationales and challenges for arts-based research have covered participants' experiences of being in arts-based studies in health service research. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: The main results of this systematic review are that mental health recovery concepts are effectively communicated by visual arts-based research and participation in these studies is progressive and connecting for mental health consumers. This paper adds new knowledge about participants' experiences specifically in visual arts-based studies, where the participants are mental health consumers. The results are significant because they support visual arts-based research in its development and popularity, both as a research approach and as an empowerment intervention. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The results of this systematic review can enhance the fields of qualitative research methods and mental health nursing. Recommendations for professional development can be advanced from consumers' ideas and experiences of recovery reported in this review. Nurse scientists and consumer researchers can take into consideration visual arts-based data collection techniques for use as research and empowerment interventions with mental health consumer participants. ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Art creation has been found to be therapeutic to mental health consumers, making the prospect of art creation's conceivable benefits as a mental health research strategy worthy of consideration. AIM: This systematic review aims to explore experiences of recovery among adults with a mental illness using visual art methods. METHOD: Following a comprehensive database search, 14 suitable studies were identified. These involved adult participants with a formal mental health diagnosis, or who self-identify as having a mental illness. The studies employed arts-based methodologies with participant-created, visual art as their data. Articles underwent data extraction and quality appraisal with the JBI-QARI (Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument). RESULTS: Results were categorised and further aggregated into two synthesised findings according to Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. The synthesised findings are: (1) Creative artmaking enables the use of visual metaphors which can aid expression of feelings, externalisation of identity, and personal learning, and (2) Interpersonal and self-connectedness through inclusion in community, receiving support when needed, and progressing through loss, are beneficial for mental health recovery. DISCUSSION: These findings are comparable to those already existing in the literature, and suggest that visual arts-based research methods are as dependable as other qualitative research methods. Additionally, this systematic review reveals that when conducting research studies, there are benefits for mental health consumer participants when visual arts-based methods are used. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: A visual arts-based research intervention can be concluded to have the effect of an empowerment intervention, as well as being a credible research method.

Using an arts-based approach to explore the building of social capital at a therapeutic recreation camp.

Therapeutic recreation is beneficial for people with and without disabilities, promoting an empowered, connected, and joyful life. The present study aimed to analyse canvas art created on a therapeutic recreation programme called Recovery Camp, to discover what they reveal about the shared experiences which have occurred. This study utilized an arts-based research method and thematic analysis to discover what participants have communicated via their artwork from ten camps between 2018 and 2019. This study adheres to the COREQ guidelines for qualitative studies. Reflexive thematic analysis produced subthemes which informed three main themes and an identified core meaning of Social Capital. The three main themes were Togetherness and teamwork, Positivity, and Gratitude for Recovery Camp. Based on these findings, canvas art has revealed that shared experiences during a therapeutic recreation camp were positive and connecting. Social capital was created and bridged at Recovery Camp through teamwork and prosocial attitudes. Gratitude has also been disclosed by participants for their shared positive experience.