Purpose: Guided by narrative theory and by use of a narrative-inaction approach, the aim of this study was to explore how mental health recovery unfolds through individuals' engagement in everyday activities. Method: Data were created through participant observations with four individuals while doing everyday activities, and analysed through a narrative, interpretive approach. Findings: The findings show how mental health recovery involves unique and open-ended processes of narrative meaning-making, which unfold through an interplay between everyday activities, places and persons. Discussion: Based on these findings, we discuss how we may understand and support mental health recovery as collective processes.

Mental health services have changed over the past decades through an increased emphasis on deinstitutionalization and normalization, and with recovery processes situated in everyday life as a new locus of support. These changes have led to a need for new knowledge and methods concerning the provision of community mental health services. The aim of the present study was to explore how community mental health workers provide support to users, by investigating professionals' own narratives of how they work. Seven community mental health workers participated in narrative interviews, which were subject to a qualitative, interpretive analysis. A primary finding was that community mental health workers provide flexible and individually-adjusted support through engaging in negotiations with users, management, and others. Our findings show both opportunities and challenges of negotiating support, raising the following question for discussion: How and when are negotiations a valuable way for professionals and users to collaborate?