The recovery process and access to the social capital of people with severe mental health problems: a secondary analysis of a six months follow-up study in five Community Mental Health Teams in England.

Background: Many developed nations have made recovery-oriented practice a central part of their mental health policy, though less is known about whether mental health outpatients’ access to social capital can improve their recovery process. Aims: This study investigates the relationship between the recovery process and access to social capital for people with severe mental health conditions. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a six-month follow-up study. Service users were recruited from five Community Mental Health Teams in England and interviewed at baseline (n=151) and six-month follow-up (n=127). The recovery process was assessed using the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery (QPR). All statistical analyses (Pearson’s correlations and multiple regression) were conducted at two different points in time (p< 0.05). Results: The participants’ experience of recovery increased slightly from baseline (M=45.2, SD=12.18) to six-month follow-up (M=49.72, SD=12.52), which is indicative of recovery. At follow-up, their access to social capital was positively associated with service users’ experience of recovery (B=0.40 p<0.01). People with higher mental well-being scores and more social connections had a better experience of recovery. Conclusions: This study supports the idea that the experience of recovery can be measured and should be defined by service users. People with higher mental well-being scores and more social connections had a better experience of recovery. This study is a contribution to the international endorsement of recovery-oriented practice which focuses on developing a person-centred rather than a clinician-centred model of recovery for people with severe mental health conditions.