Mental illness and social exclusion: An evaluation of recovery-oriented rehabilitation programme

Relational approaches in contemporary health-care and social work practice were used by many helping professions who adopt a strength-based approach aimed at promoting users’ recovery. From a relational practice perspective, many recovery-oriented programmes have been experimented within mental health services’ field. Using mixed methods, the paper investigated the coherence, effectiveness and social impact of a recovery-oriented programme (MeNS) implemented in a southern Italian mental health service. First, the study analysed how recovery markers were adopted by MeNS staff using interviews and focus group discussions. Second, a two-group evaluation design compared 50 MeNS beneficiaries and 100 patients treated by traditional rehabilitation paths in terms of recovery, using both Recovery Style Questionnaire and a Recovery Assessment Scale. Finally, the beneficiaries’ quality of life and the programme’s social impact were explored with data from a focus group with beneficiaries and journal articles on MeNS and social stigma. The results highlighted that MeNS is a recovery-oriented programme capable of confronting patient stigmatisation and promoting their recovery and quality of life by a relational social work paradigm. The implications for health policies and practices were discussed, underlining the need to design services effective in promoting user quality of life and social inclusion.