Recovery Model of Mental Illness:

Running head: RECOVERY ORIENTED APPROACH
RECOVERY ORIENTED APPROACH
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RECOVERY ORIENTED APPROACH
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Introduction:
World Health Organization (WHO) define mental health as a state of well-being in
which individuals identify their ability and can handle with the regular stresses of life and they
can work productively for contributing something productive to his or her community
(Www.who.int. 2019). However, in the recent decade, mental illness has subjected to extensive
public health research due to the complexity of the disease. While mental illness affected more
than millions individuals around the globe, the high prevalence of mental illnesses are also
common in Australia. As per the report of Australian bureau of statistics, 1 in 5 individuals in
Australia aged 16 to 8 years are subjected to at least one mental illness at some point in their life
(Www.blackdoginstitute.org.au. 2019). The most commonly occurred mental disorder in
Australia includes anxiety, depression, bipolar and schizophrenia which severely impacted the
mental health and wellbeing of the patients (Harris et al. 2015). To reduce high prevalence of
mental illness, recovery-oriented approach is a most suitable approach for supporting the
individual's experiences. Therefore, this paper will provide a detailed analysis of issues with
mental illness, historical background of the mental illness and significance of recovery-oriented
approach in mental illness in the following paragraphs.
Discussion:
Historical background and impact on mental health issues:
For many years, mental illnesses are subject to undesirable judgments as well as
stigmatization. A range of patients often experience the devastating effects of their illness and
suffer from social exclusion along with prejudices (Coates, Saleeba and Howe 2019). The
underlying reason behind this negative judgments and stigmatization is a long-standing history.

RECOVERY ORIENTED APPROACH
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Considering the historical background, the concept of mental illness first appeared in 1788
(Lewis and Garton 2017). Before discovery of mental illness, the history of mental illness
provides three basic explanations of the unusual behaviours of the population with mental illness
such as biological, supernatural and psychological (Rössler 2016). Before extensive research on
mental illness, society consider deviant or unusual behaviours as supernatural phenomenon and
majority of population perceive individuals with deviant behaviours or irrational as evil. Even in
middle age, mental illness is considered a punishment from the god and suffers were possessed
by evil and the sufferers were burned at hell (Rössler 2016). This concept of thinking individuals
with mental illness later developed a stigma that influence the negative attitude of the population
towards mental patients. While Aristotle, Plato involved in extensive research and highlighted
the significance of dream and psychological disturbance, stigma is still persistent in the recent
era (Radovic 2016). Considering the history of mental illness in Australia, majority of the
Australian experience at least mental illness in their lifestyle (Abi Doumit et al. 2019). A range
of literature highlighted that despite the presence of social policy for reducing mental illness and
care plan, the incidence rate of depression and anxiety is higher amongst Australia compared to
other countries, indicating the presence of stigma and negative judgments (Raeburn et al. 2018).
As stigma shapes the mind-set of the Australian, the individuals who were exhibiting unusual
behaviours generally locked down to the deemed area with convicts and criminals which resulted
in aggravation of the mental health of the patients even during the process of recovery (Rössler
2016). The individuals suffering from mental illness often experience social inclusion, negative
judgments and discriminations due to stigma from close friends, family members or partners
(Ross et al. 2019). Despite the implementation of the mental illness care plan in 1992, social
illness, stigma, social exclusion are still persistent in the recent era.