Hope, meaning and responsibility across stages of recovery for individuals living with an enduring mental illness

This study reports on the relationship between stage of recovery and hope, meaning and responsibility for individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness. Methods: Seventy-seven people with a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder of at least 6 months’ duration participated in the study. Participants completed the Self-Identified Stage of Recovery (SISR) scale, measures of component processes of recovery (Hope Scale; Positive Interpretation of Disease, SpREUK; Active Involvement, Personal Health Management Questionnaire (PHMQ) and the Recovery Assessment Scale-short (RAS). Results: Hope, meaning, Personal Confidence and Hope and Not Being Dominated by Symptoms varied significantly across stages of recovery; however, neither in a parallel nor linear fashion. Hopefulness and sense of meaning in relation to the experience of mental illness increase before personal confidence and resilience in the face of setbacks. Conclusions and implications: Symptoms appear to take less prominence in individuals’ lives in later stages of recovery. Greater insight into the relationship between stage of recovery and component processes may allow for more targeted recovery-oriented support for individuals at different stages of recovery. Keywords: psychological recovery, stages of recovery, hope, meaning.