From experience to action in recovery-oriented mental health practice: A first person inquiry

Blog post by Susan Kidd

mindsRelationships in health are formed in the context of our shared humanity and the social world. Consumer participation assists in building understanding of the social world in which care is provided. Broad consumer participation is a fundamental prerequisite for the further development of recovery oriented mental health services. Ideally consumers and care providers share a developmental community on equal grounds where services are continuously improved to fulfill the various needs of its customers. However, asymmetrical power relations ingrained in various care institutions sometimes surmount as barriers to these developmental efforts, preventing the full presence of consumer voices and experiences in the recovery oriented dialogues.

In this paper, the authors present how the development of a first-person critical subjectivity through a cooperative inquiry process inspired the question of taken-for-granted power relations, thus acknowledging the lived experiences of consumers for the continuous improvement of recovery oriented practices. The paper might also inspire healthcare providers in other contexts to engage with consumers on equal grounds to support and inspire other recovery oriented care practices.

Susan Kidd

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