Mental Health Care: Lived Experience, Recovery, and National Framework

This essay delves into the critical role of lived experience in mental health care, emphasizing its impact on patient recovery and the reduction of social stigma. It highlights the journey of Sandy Jeff, an author with schizophrenia, as a powerful example of recovery and advocacy. The essay examines the national framework for recovery-oriented mental health services, outlining its core principles and guidelines for practitioners. It underscores the importance of a patient-centered approach, community support, and the integration of lived experience to improve the quality of life for individuals with mental health disorders. The analysis also includes excerpts from Sandy Jeff's writings, illustrating her perspective on self-determination, medication, and the challenges of mental illness, aligning her views with the framework's domains and advocating for a holistic, compassionate approach to mental health treatment.

Running head: MENTAL HEALTH
MENTAL HEALTH
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

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The disability and the mortality that results due to the mental health illness are
indispensible and a substantial proportion of the burden of the diseases comes from the mental
disorders. Mental health disorders not only affect the quality of life of the person, but also brings
substantial emotional as well as economic burden over the family (Rashid, 2015). This essay
aims to discover about the importance of lived experience on the care regimen of mental illness.
While reflecting on this, the essay will also draw the example of the recovery journey of Sandy
Jeff, who is an award winning author, who suffered from schizophrenia for over 35 years. Sandy
Jeff is an advocate and also provides community based educations on the basis of her lived
experience of psychotic disorder. Her memoir “Flying with the paper wings" was selected as the
Australia’s book of the year (Jeffs, 2012). The essay would finally focus on the national
framework model of recovery, which serves as practical guidelines for the nurses practitioners.
Sandy Jeff's writing "bearing witness" extract from speak your mind provides a vivid description
of his journey as a schizophrenic patient.
The concept of the lived experience of mental health and illness
Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council., (2017) have identified how the concept
of lived experinece increases the acceptance of the mental illness and reduces the social stigma
surrounding the illness. Lived experience leadership can help to improve the design of the mental
health system and the type of delivery care. The importance of the lived experience has been
found out across a diversity of the roles and different levels within the mental health system. A
workforce with lived experience especially in mental health supports the development of a more

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compassionate workforce that can easily establish the rapport between the patients and the
caregivers (Williams et al., 2012). It has been identified that the people who are the participants
of the lived experience, plays a greater role, which is beyond the direct delivery of the
workforce. According to the Department of Health Australia (2013), lived experience is a crucial
domain for altering the care provide to the individuals suffering from mental health. As per the
Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council (2017), a collaboration approach of the lived
experience along with appropriate clinical skills and education can improve the quality of living
of the mental health patients (Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council., 2017).
The concept of recovery in the experience of mental health and illness
The term recovery does not only refer to getting better, but also to achieve a full and
satisfying life. The journey to recover is not always straight and has got several setbacks and new
discoveries (Dihoff & Weave, 2012). The recovery oriented framework is a transformational
framework for providing a sound recovery to the mental health patients. The core of the recovery
oriented framework consisted of those people who have lived a live experience. Caplan, (2013)
have argued over the fact that the philosophy of the recovery process differs from one person to
another. This different recovery oriented process differ their care of approach towards the mental
health patient (Dihoff & Weaver, 2012). A recovery oriented mental health services focuses to
provide a evidence informed treatment, rehabilitation and psychosocial support to the patient for
achieving the best outcomes for their physical and mental well being (Gilburt et al., 2013). A
recovery oriented mental health approach support and embrace the development of the new
models of mental health recovery (Dihoff & Weave, 2012).

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Main ideas of the National framework for recovery-oriented mental health services: guide for
practitioners and providers
National framework for recovery-oriented mental health services provides an overview of
the frameworks that defines the concept of recovery and provides guidelines regarding the
recovery oriented approaches. the framework consists of five domains namely, promotion of a
culture of hope and optimism, putting the interest of the patient in the frontline, encouraging the
personal recovery of the person, organisational commitment and the development of workforce
and initiatives on the social inclusion of the mental health patients and addressing their social
determinants of health (Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council., 2017). According to this
framework the recovery service mainly focuses on the aspirations and the needs of the people
rather than adapting the patients according to the service delivery. This framework provides the
guidelines to recognise and to respond to the beliefs and the values of the mental patients
belonging to the culturally diverse background. The framework enables the mental health
practitioners to accept resilience, strength and inherent capacity of the individuals suffering from
mental disorders (Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council., 2017).
Sandy Jeff’s recovery oriented practice
It was found from a video published by the Australian human rights commission, where
Sandy Jeff had said that it is the thought process of the mental patients that acts as barriers to the
recovery. Sandy Jeff have confessed that lack of self esteem, self determination deteriorate the
condition of the patients. She has emphasized on the fact that the community centred approaches
should focus on embracing this people and provide them with the necessary facilities. The
recovery oriented service should be able to assist a person in regaining control, making decisions

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and attaining self determination and self management (Chronister et al., 2013). According to
Sandy Jeff, the community supports should be able to help out the people to confront with the
challenges for eradication of the oppression, as one always cannot hurl a person to a situation
compellingly and then blame them for that. It is evident that the perception of Sandy Jeff was in
compliance with the National framework for recovery-oriented mental health services.
According to Sandy Jeff, “the society should support these people to get back to their pace of
life” (Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council., 2017). Sandy Jeff had confessed that
fighting with the symptoms of is challenging but once the person has learned how to cope up
with the symptoms, it means that the person had already caught the pace of self recovery. At
times the mental health challenges make it seem difficult to set the goals for the mental health
recovery but, a collaborative care approach for the patients can simplify the process to an extent
(Halter, 2017).
While reflecting on her own lived experience Sandy Jeff had quoted that “My purpose of
life was writing. People would stigmatise you, if you are meant to be you and you will feel that
stigma, but you should have your goals". Hence it can be said that people with mental disorders
should also have a purpose in their life. The health care professionals should be able to
channelize these patients in to constructive work. Sandy Jeff has said , “never let you put
yourself in a loony bin, you'll never get out" (Sandy Jeffs., 2013). It was true to the context that
the community should provide constant support to these people such that they do not feel
deprived or low esteemed (Slade et al., 2012). They should feel that there are people who care
for them. According to Department of Health Australia., (2013) relapse and hospitalisations can
cause the destruction of the hopes. It is the duty of the caregivers to help out these people to deal
with hopelessness and despair (Gilburt et al., 2013).

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The video clearly reveals the fact that Sandy Jeff's first book published at the age of 40
that modified her life completely. Her first book "poems from the madhouse" could provide a
graphic insight into her own situation. The author found the mode of recovery through her poems
and wanted to devout her life in enriching her talents.
A poem by Sandy Jeff (Poetry recital from Sandy Jeffs "Medicated" ,2016)
I’ve been Imipramined, Prothiadened, Lexaproed
Effexored & Zolofted to happiness
I was Valiumed&Ativaned into tranquility
Now I’m Zyprexaed& ravenous &fuzzled
I’m Lamotrigined & balanced
& Seroquelled
Yes indeedy, I’m medicated & dedicated to
The medication trolley
Here’s looking at you pill bottles
The poem was unique in the sense that those names of the anti-psychotic pills could greatly
provide an insight to the life of the poet. The poem could express the grief of the poet while
dealing with the painful process of recovery yet she had clung to it and has believed in herself. It
should be noted that the ' medication trolley' could give provide her with some physical relief,
but it is actually her self determination that had paved the path of recovery (Halter, 2017).

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Sandy's concept of self recovery is supported by the author Xie,(2013), that although the piles of
medications can decrease the exacerbation of the symptoms but proper mental support would
surely speed up the recovery process. Notably this perception goes in sync with the national
framework of recovery guidelines.
Below is given an extract from another noteworthy poem called McMadness (Sandy
Jeffs., ,2012):-
Now that you are here
terms& conditions apply
you can only stay a few days
but don’t worry we’ll get you McSane
before you can say
can I have some compassion with that?
we’ll give you drugs that will fatten you up
kill your libido
make you dribble & constipated
turn you into a zombie
sedate to you to exhaustion
eventually bring on diabetes

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cardiovascular disease
& premature death
but we’ll have you out of here like shit off a shovel
even if you’re still mad
This extract brings up the normal perception of the mental health care professionals that
are mainly stigmatized by the concept of psychotic disorder and behaves abusively with the
patients. The poem beautifully depicts the harsh reality of the indiscriminate use of antipsychotic
medicines, without assessing its necessary side effect. By this poem the author had actually tried
to draw the attention of these health care professionals that pharmacological treatment may
alleviate the symptoms to some extent, but there is always a chance for relapse. Hence
complementary therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapies and talk therapies have to be
administered (Williams et al., 2012).
Hence form this paper it can be said that, a holistic and a person centered care,
psychological and rehabilitation can improve the recovery rate in the individuals. The risk is
automatically reduced when people feel respected, listened to or acknowledged. The National
framework for recovery-oriented mental health services: guide for practitioners and a provider
were successful in providing a proper framework for the procurement of the cognitive therapies.
Furthermore the lived experience of Sandy Jeff and her recommendations was also found to be in
sync with the domains of this framework.

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References
Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council., (2017). A national framework for recovery-
oriented mental health services: Guide For Practitioners And Providers. Access date: 12th
April. Retrieved from:
https://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/67D17065514CF8E8CA
257C1D00017A90/$File/recovgde.pdf
Caplan, G. (Ed.). (2013). An approach to community mental health (Vol. 3). Routledge.
Chronister, J., Chou, C. C., & Liao, H. Y. (2013). The role of stigma coping and social support in
mediating the effect of societal stigma on internalized stigma, mental health recovery,
and quality of life among people with serious mental illness. Journal of Community
Psychology, 41(5), 582-600.
Department of Health Australia., (2013). A National framework for recovery-oriented mental
health services: guide for practitioners and providers. Accessed on: 12nd April. 2018.
Retrieved from:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/67D17065514CF8E8CA2
57C1D00017A90/$File/2.pdf
Dihoff, D. G., & Weaver, M. (2012). Mental health recovery. Mental Health, 73(3).

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Gilburt, H., Slade, M., Bird, V., Oduola, S., & Craig, T. K. (2013). Promoting recovery-oriented
practice in mental health services: a quasi-experimental mixed-methods study. BMC
psychiatry, 13(1), 167.
Halter, M. J. (2017). Varcarolis' Foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing-E-Book: A
Clinical Approach. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Jeffs, S. (2012). Flying with Paper Wings: Recollections on Living with Madness. Vulgar Press,
pp.1- 277.
Poetry recital from Sandy Jeffs "Medicated"., (2016). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-MS4Sbv8Ng
Rashid, T. (2015). Positive psychotherapy: A strength-based approach. The Journal of Positive
Psychology, 10(1), 25-40.
Sandy Jeffs., (2012). McMadness.Centre of Medical Humanities: Durham University. Retrieved
from: http://centreformedicalhumanities.org/medicated-and-mcmadness/
Sandy Jeffs., (2012). Medicated.Centre of Medical Humanities: Durham University. Retrieved
from: http://centreformedicalhumanities.org/medicated-and-mcmadness/
Sandy Jeffs., (2013). Somethingincommon.gov.au. Australian Human Rights Commission.
Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEszvWRsgZg&t=23s
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