“All that I've been through has made me who I am” : youth conceptualisations of personal recovery in mental health

Abstract

Background Youth is a transitional period from 15 to 24 years involving developmental milestones that may be adversely affected by mental health (MH) concerns. Clinical interventions tend to focus on the reduction or cure of illness-based psychiatric symptoms. However, national and international mental policy focuses on promoting well-being and self-management through personal recovery. The leading framework of personal recovery in adults is CHIME, an acronym used to denote five key processes – Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning and Empowerment. The extent to which CHIME reflects the experience of personal recovery in youth is under-researched, yet the framework often underpins youth mental health services. Method The present study uses a qualitative methodology to analyse interviews with 16 youth referred for treatment. Interviews focused on the lived experiences of youth recovery and its alignment with the CHIME processes and were analysed using a hybrid inductive and deductive reflexive thematic analysis. Results The CHIME framework was relevant to youth recovery in two ways: restoring what was perceived to be lost (restorative processes) and encouraging resilience (resilience processes). Adaptations to the CHIME framework for youth included an increased emphasis on the role of family and friends, support for grieving processes and support for identity formation during the recovery journey. Conclusion An adapted CHIME framework for youth can underpin targeted recovery-oriented care to support youth in moving towards emerging adulthood successfully while managing mental health concerns.