Towards Recovery Empowerment and Experiential Expertise.

Many people with mental illness suffer from a loss of valued social roles, have low self-esteem and lack a long-term perspective. This study tests whether a consumer-driven program can help people in their recovery process.

This study is located at four mental health agencies in the Netherlands (SBWU, Utrecht; RIBW Oost-Veluwe, Apeldoorn; Psycope, Maastricht; Rivierduinen, Leiden). In previous years a consumer-driven recovery oriented program was developed at one of the sites (SBWU, Utrecht). This program is the subject of a (partly) randomised controlled trial.
The main inclusion criterium is interest in the program. At two sites clients are randomised to the recovery-oriented program or a waiting list of one year before clients can start with the program. At two other sites (with mainly sheltered living)
sheltered living units were assigned to the experimental or control condition. Follow-up at 12 and 24 months.

Outcomes measures: self-efficacy, empowerment, quality of life, identity, social support, coomunity participation, symptoms, service use, met and unmet needs.

Clients in a consumer-driven program for recovery, empowerment and experiential expertise will have better outcomes on self-efficacy and empowerment than clients on a waiting list for the program.

Clients in the experimental condition can choose between several consumer-driven, recovery oriented interventions:

1. A self-help study group (no specified duration);

2. An introductory seminar attended by the client and his/her practitioner;

3. A five-day introductory course on recovery.