Family members of homicide victims are a neglected population whose posthomicide experience is shaped by the social milieu and primacy of the state's agenda for justice. Themes derived from interviews with 14 families about their lived experience are analyzed and explored through the lens of social constructionist theory, and implications for clinical practice and policy are presented.

Although sense making or finding benefit are well documented examples of meaning making processes, meaning making grounded in action has received less attention. This article adds a specific demonstration of the relevance of performed meanings to homicide survivors and other traumatized populations through a qualitative study of 38 members of 14 families. The central finding of the study points to "the intense pursuit of what matters" as a major avenue for meaning making in the aftermath of homicide, one which is expressed in action. Implications of this mode of meaning reconstruction are discussed relative to the re-establishment of a sense of coherence and self-continuity.

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This hermeneutic phenomenological study of 45 adults with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) examines the experience of recovery over 3 years. After a brief review of the results from the first two phases, this article reports the findings from the third phase of the recovery process. Five essential themes are identified: (1) reintegration in the community; (2) reintegration with family and friends; (3) reintegration with the case manager; (4) reintegration with oneself; (5) barriers to social inclusion. Findings highlight the unmet needs for consumers in their relationships with case managers and barriers to inclusion at the macro level. Implications for practice include the delineation of client and case manager tasks specific to each essential theme.

This mixed methods study examined the lived experience of African American persons recovering from serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) and assessed changes in demoralization, engulfment and coping over time. Psychological measures were administered and semi-structured interviews were conducted at three time points (6, 12, and 18 months) with nine African Americans with SPMI. Qualitative analysis was done from an Afrocentric perspective. The interviews were transcribed, read and coded to cluster thematic aspects in each case and across cases. Atlas-ti was used to recode transcripts and retrieve quotes to dimensionalize each essential theme. Four themes were identified: 1) striving for normalcy, 2) striving for a positive and proactive outlook, 3) mastering the challenges posed by mental illness, and 4) leaning on the supports that watch out for and over me. Paired t-tests were performed on the dependent variables of demoralization, coping, and engulfment. There was a significant change in reduction of