Nursing Essay: Mental Health Recovery Approach and Principles

This essay delves into the critical area of mental health within nursing, focusing on the recovery approach for patients facing mental illnesses like schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. It emphasizes the importance of treatment and explores the recovery model, which champions a patient-centered approach and the belief that recovery is possible. The essay outlines the characteristics of this model, including health, a safe environment, daily routines, and community support. It then addresses the challenges patients encounter during recovery, such as stigma, financial barriers, lack of social support, and hopelessness. Furthermore, the essay examines key principles of the recovery model, including the uniqueness of the individual, real choice, citizenship, dignity and respect, partnership, communication, and evaluation of recovery. It highlights how these principles ensure effective and patient-centered care, ultimately stressing the significance of social support and the potential for recovery from mental illness through a patient-directed approach. The essay concludes by underscoring the necessity for healthcare professionals to adhere to these principles to achieve the best outcomes for patients.

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Similar to physical health issues, mental health problems is another important area of nursing.
Mental illness is also known as mental health disorders, which include schizophrenia,
depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions (Mayoclinic.org, 2019). Most of such
conditions cause frequent stress and influences one's ability to work. In addition to this, mental
illness makes the patient miserable and negatively affects the daily life of the him/her.. This is
the reason that treatment becomes way crucial for such patients. The purpose of this essay is to
understand the recovery approach of treatment for mental illness patients and its applicability
and significance of the relevant principles. In the presented essay, the focus will be made on the
issues that a person faces during mental health recovery in addition to the various principles of
recovery-oriented mental health practices.
Starting the discussion over this topic, first, this is to state that many people believe that once a
person gets a mental disorder, recovery is not possible but on the different side, many others also
feel otherwise. The recovery model focuses on a patient-centered approach. Recovery can be
understood as recovery of life with/without signs of mental health conditions (Hercelinskyj and
Alexander, 2019). In recent times, the model gained momentum and has become a standard
model in mental health nursing. As the name of the model implies it believes that mental illness
is not permanent and one can easily recover from it and return to normal and satisfying life
(Jacob, 2015). To discuss the characteristics of the recovery model, this is to state that this model
takes a holistic view of the patient's life. "The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration" (SAMHSA) has provided four dimensions that should be considered while
supporting someone in mental health recovery. The first characteristic is health. This dimension
states that while using a recovery model, one should adopt the practices that can support the

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overall health of patient i.e. physical as well as a mental one. Further, the second dimension
states that a patient needs a supportive and safe home-like environment. According to the third
characteristic, a patient should have daily routine throughout the recovery process and last
dimension focus on community, according to which supportive social relationship is required for
patients suffering from mental illness during their recovery process (Lyon, 2019).
Nevertheless, there are many issues that a patient may encounter while pursuing the recovery
model from overcoming mental illness. These issues are necessary to be discussed hereby to
know the importance of principles related to the recovery model, which would be discussed
further. The first challenge one may feel is stigma. Social Stigma is associated with mental
illness and this is the reason that their situation can be worse which makes it difficult for them to
recover. While recovery gives opportunities to a patient suffering from mental illness and makes
them stronger, stigma does the otherwise. This is the greatest challenge that is associated with
mental health recovery as it reduces self-esteem (betterhealth.vic.gov.au, 2019). Recovery is not
just about getting rid of a problem but it looks far beyond and recognizes a patient's dreams,
abilities, and interests. In such a way, the lead issue in the whole recovery model is the patient's
inner stigma that reduces the likelihood of positive results of recovery.
Financial barrier is another challenge in the recovery process. Patients who do not have enough
financial resources and support often face difficulty and delay in obtaining medical care,
medication or counseling (hristov, 2014). Many times patients have an insurance policy and even
after this they face financial difficulty in their recovery process because the policy does not cover
the cost of recovery sessions or cover the cost of limited sessions. Unlike physical issues, mental
disorders cannot be treated without continuing counseling that often requires high cost. While
processing with the recovery model, patients need support from families, friends, and society and

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lack of such support may create an additional challenge for them as it is a vital and effective part
of mental health recovery (heretohelp.bc.ca, 2019). Social isolation, as well as the absence of a
supportive relationship, is one of the major challenges in subjective recovery. Mental illness is
nothing but some traumas and disorders that affect the emotions of the patient and vice versa. It
means emotions that a person gets from social relationships also influence mental health and
therefore when a patient receives enough social support and a happy and positive environment
there is a chance of fast recovery.
The most important thing to mention here is that the recovery approach is the patient-centered
approach and the patient himself/herself needs to do the required (Grassi, Riba and Wise, 2018).
In other words, this can be stated unlike physical health treatment, a healthcare professional
cannot do more in the recovery of a patient. Unwarranted sense of hopelessness is another
challenge in the recovery of mental illness. Hopelessness thinking does not only prevent the
patient from being recovered but also further contributes to the depression. When a patient has
positive attitudes and believes that recovery is possible then he/she is more likely to tolerate an
extra level of depression and can recover early. In this manner, hopelessness can be considered
as one of the significant challenges in mental health recovery (Smith, 2015).
Through the above-mentioned discussion, it is clear that there are many issues related to mental
health recovery. Principles related to the recovery model help to bring effective results out of a
recovery process. These principles apply to the whole mental health service system. From the
perspective of an individual, recovery can be understood as gaining and retaining hope,
engagement in active life, a positive sense of self and social identity. An efficient recovery relies
on internal as well as external conditions. The internal condition includes patient's healing, hope,
connection and empowerment whereas external condition includes the positive culture of

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healing, implementation of human rights and recovery-oriented services. Unless both of the
conditions are not there, an efficient recovery cannot be expected. Principles of recovery
approach are significant as these ensure that patient of mental illness gets the services in a way
which supports their recovery. Here these principles need to know to check and understand their
significance. The first principle is the uniqueness of the individual. According to this principle,
recovery oriented mental health practices focus on the individual. It accepts that recovery
outcomes for every patient are unique (Jarvis, 2018). This principle makes the patient feel that
they are the center of the care. This principle is important as it provides that recovery is not
important to occur but mental health services need to ensure that the patient is having
opportunities for choices and purposeful life. In this manner, this is to state that a patient should
feel him/herself a valued member of society.
The second principle is a real choice that ensures that a patient suffering from mental illness has
a choice to live his/her life in the desired manner (health.gov.au, 2019). Further, the principle
also believes that in a recovery process of an individual there should be enough balance between
opportunities and risk. It helps healthcare professionals in making reasonable and ethical
decisions. The third principle of the recovery model is focused on citizenship, legal and human
rights of the individual. It demands that mental health recovery professionals should listen to
individuals and act accordingly (Priorygroup.com, 2019). The principle is significant as it shows
that the recovery model should be developed in a way that cares about the rights of patients.
Further, according to another principle, dignity and respect should be there throughout the
process of recovery. When a patient feels positive vibes and a respectful environment, he/she is
likely to respond early in compare to normal situations. This principle is way important in this
way as the iss also challenges and reduces issues of Stigma and discrimination. As mentioned

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above, recovery of a patient suffering from mental illness depends on external and internal
conditions hence coordination between the same is also an important factor. Efforts of healthcare
professionals and thinking of patients should flow in the same direction. The principle of
partnership and communication helps here which believes in an informed model. According to
this principle under a recovery-oriented mental health practice, professionals must share the
relevant information with the patient, as everyone is an expert in his /her life. For effective
engagement, clear communication is important. The last principle of the recovery approach is
evaluating recovery. According to this principle, one should be able to measure and evaluate the
progress of recovery. To inform quality improvement activities service providers use the
experience of individuals.
After the above-mentioned discussion, it is clear that different principles of recovery model
provide different aspects, where the objective of all is to ensure the delivery of an effective and
fast recovery. For instance, shared decision-making is one of the principles that have been
discussed above. Here a patient can choose the way in which they want to take their life ahead.
Care and recovery can be planned by the patient and the person involved in the structure. It is to
be believed that patients recover fast when they are involved in their own care (Clifton et al.,
2017). These principles support to each other and conclusively ensure to bring the best results for
the patient. The principle of communication supports the principle of real choices. Similarly,
when the patient feels dignity and respect for their rights then there are very few chances of
presence of stigma and discrimination and the patient feels positive within.
To conclude this essay, this is to state that the recovery model stresses the significance of social
support. It believes that when people have such support and unconditional love then they can
easily recover from their mental illness and all the principles of this approach discussed above

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have been discussed based on this belief. Hence, the recovery model applies in mental health
nursing using two simple premises, one is the possibility of recovery from mental illness, and
another one is that the most efficient recovery is "patient-directed". Conclusively only adopting
and processing with the recovery model is not enough but healthcare professionals must also
adhere to principles of this model that is far necessary to gain the expected and efficient results.

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References
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