The concept of recovery in psychosis has gained much momentum in recent years in the UK. Current government policy describes its underpinning philosophy as the way forward for mental health services. Many mental health professionals now claim to embrace this concept yet fail to make the desired impact upon the care and treatment of individuals with schizophrenia. This article reviews some of the literature and explores what the concept of recovery means. The formal evidence will be augmented with personal accounts about recovery written by individuals who have schizophrenia. In doing so the main components that appear to have influenced the recovery process will be highlighted, and the implications for mental health nurses and practitioners will be discussed.

Family Intervention for individuals with schizophrenia has a wealth of evidence to attest its efficacy. However, there is little literature available about actual family work services, what they consist of and how they operate. With the publication of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines for schizophrenia in 2002, there is increased pressure on mental health services to deliver evidence-based Family Interventions to individuals with schizophrenia and their families. This article will outline how a specialist mental health Trust have been able to successfully establish and implement a designated Family Intervention service into routine practice.

Over the past decade, there has been great interest in both the development and delivery of early intervention in psychosis services in the United Kingdom, supported by national policy and a Policy Implementation Guide (PIG). Despite this, the PIG fails to distinguish the delivery of early intervention services to different population groups. The paper aims to augment available literature with the range of complex issues that practitioners may face when working in rural settings and link this to the development of early intervention services in rural communities. This paper will also outline some of the fundamental factors that challenge delivery of early intervention to individuals with a first episode of psychosis and their families in rural communities. Important key areas for consideration will be highlighted for both the planning and delivery of early intervention to rural communities.