In this review, the participants pleaded for "flexibility" in mental health care, i.e., an approach that allows for both successes and failures. However, in order to come to a more comprehensive theoretical model of recovery in persons with dual diagnosis, future research is necessary to gain insight into the underlying mechanisms of recovery processes.
Objectives: This study aims at gaining insight into an alternative approach to treatment for persons with dual diagnosis by unraveling the daily practice of Villa Voortman, a community-based meeting place in Ghent (Belgium) offering support to this group. Methods: Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted with several actors: visitors, staff members, volunteers, and persons involved from outside the meeting place. Results: First, Villa Voortman was experienced as 'a place to be', providing visitors a possibility to feel safe and accepted, and belong to a peer group. Voluntary participation to activities is crucial to install such feeling. In time, the meeting place also becomes 'the place to be', as visitors start to feel at home. Secondly, it functions as 'a place to be me', helping participants to (re-)build their identity and become visible citizens. Conclusions: The findings are highly consistent with recovery literature and Lacanian ideas on the treatment of psychosis. Some 'contours' that shape the daily practice of Villa Voortman could be identified: particularizing to personal needs, having a focus on personal, social, and structural aspects of recovery and the coexistence of different discourses.
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Background: Today, international mental health care increasingly focuses on creating recovery-oriented systems of support. This study aims to unravel the daily practice of an inpatient psychiatric ward that engages with persons with complex mental health needs. Methods: 17 in-depth interviews were conducted with patients and staff of the ward. Data was analyzed by means of thematic analysis. Results: Three important functions of the ward were identified in the participants' experiences. First, it functions as an asylum, a safe environment where patients can 'simply be'. Second, the ward is experienced as a particularizing space, as support is organized in an individualized way and patients are encouraged to reconnect with their own identity. Third, the ward functions as a transitional space towards a valuable community life, in which finding adequate housing is of central importance. Conclusions: The results show that inpatient forms of support tally with personal and social dimensions of recovery and fulfill important roles in recovery-oriented systems of support.
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