Recovery is "a way of living a satisfying, hopeful and contributing life even with limitations caused by illness" (Anthony, 1993), and is an influential idea in mental health policy internationally. This understanding of recovery has emerged from people who have personal experience of recovery in, with and from mental illness. Therefore as a research team we put a high priority on lived experience of this type, in addition to valuing the professional expertise of clinicians and researchers. We employ people with lived experience in our team, and value the input of mental health service users and carers to our activities.

 

The Section for Recovery is a substantive multi-professional recovery-focussed research team undertaking high-quality research of national and international relevance. It co-operates closely with the local Mental Health Trust (South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust) which has developed a pro-recovery policy, and is orienting its services around this philosophy of care. The aims of the Section are:

 

1. To provide a focus for international quality recovery research within the Institute of Psychiatry

2. To develop expertise in organisational change and positive psychology

3. To establish collaborative links, including joint applications and honorary appointments, with leading recovery research centres in the UK and internationally

4. To establish a high-quality web presence as a resource for the field (this is it!).

 

Our current areas of activity are:

> Running high-quality research studies

> Co-ordinating a national Recovery Research Network

> Organising an international recovery conference

> Presenting at conferences and running workshops about recovery.

 

We hope to influence both policy and practice in mental health services.

 

Enjoy looking around our web-site, and do get in touch if wanted.

 

Best wishes

 

 

 

 

Dr Mike Slade

Reader in Health Services Research