This article provides an overview of mental health services (MHS) and the application of the recovery concept in Hong Kong, focusing on user participation. It presents stakeholders ' views of the recovery movement in a round-table discussion format, demonstrating agreement that user participation merits more public and offi cial attention. Some of the present diffi culties with the movement are also reviewed. Social identity theory (SIT) is then analysed as a potentially useful framework for theorizing how service users ' identities change as they become service providers. The paper then provides an overview of the current fi nancial and political position of MHS, and identifi es signs that the recovery approach is becoming accepted. It also addresses the cultural meanings of the concept, and sets out examples of its implementation in the health and social welfare sectors. Lastly, it summarizes the challenges facing service providers and users and concludes that as the recovery movement is still in its infancy in Hong Kong, more coordinated efforts are needed to establish the organizational support and policy framework, so that sustainable and evidence-based service provision can be achieved.

The programme shows potential benefits for both Warmline service users and trainees. Future studies should compare different training methods and examine the implementation of peer support services in a non-western cultural context.

Recovery has been adopted as either the national policy or guiding principle for reforming mental health services in many countries. Development and implementation of the concept of recovery is still in its infancy in most Asian countries, and Hong Kong is no exception. The present authors propose three strategies to guide the transformation of Hong Kong mental health services toward becoming more recovery-oriented.

BackgroundKnowledge construction is a form of communication in which people can work individually or collaboratively. Peer support services have been adopted by the public psychiatric and social welfare service as a regular form of intervention since 2015 in Hong Kong. Peer-based services can help people with bipolar disorder (BD) deal with the implications of the diagnosis, the way in which individuals with BD receive treatment, and the lifestyle changes that take place as a result of the diagnosis. Through a qualitative paradigm, this study aims to examine how individuals with BD use technical and expert-by-experience knowledge.MethodsA total of 32 clients of mental health services were recruited from hospitals, Integrated Community Centers for Mental Wellness, and non-governmental organizations. They participated in semi-structured individual interviews. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis with the aid of NVivo. The findings were verified by peer researchers.ResultsThree main themes are presented in this article, including how clients made sense of the knowledge provided by mental health professionals and peer support workers (PSWs), critical perspectives about peer support services, and the way in which the services are more than knowledge transfer alone. Participants generally indicated that knowledge sharing revolved around three experiences: mood changes, medications, and sense of hope. Nevertheless, an empathic understanding of the clients’ experience was more important than the sharing of knowledge. Some clients perceived medication as the chief means to recovery, so PSWs were not useful for them. However, PSW role models had an effect beyond mere knowledge transmission, as they could promote clients’ pursuit of functional recovery goals.ConclusionsThe present study has improved our understanding of knowledge sharing between clients with BD and health professionals or PSWs, which should take place in an empathic and hope-instilling manner. It has also emphasized the value of the presence of a role model who can speak convincingly with clients to facilitate recovery. The present findings can be used to improve the care of people with BD by generating important guidance with regard to enhancing the knowledge exchange between clients and health practitioners.