Title:
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How staff conceptualise and support recovery in young people with mental health difficulties: a Delphi survey
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Objective
Recovery has become integral within mental health service delivery in the past decade.
However, much of the policy on recovery has been based upon research with adults,
specifically clinical populations with severe mental health difficulties. There is very little
empirical research on young people's recovery from mental health difficulties and little
guidance for staff on implementing recovery within Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Services (CAMHS). This study aimed to explore how staff conceptualise and support
recovery in their work with young people.
Design
A mixed-methods Delphi survey was used, conducted over a series of three rounds.
Participants
In total, 36 NHS health care professionals with expelience of direct clinical work with
children and young people with mental health difficulties took part.
Results
A high level of consensus was provided on a number of elements that define recovery and
how it may be supported for young people. There was high consensus that recovery for young
people related to self-empowerment and hope, as well as young people's identity, separate
from mental health difficulties. There was no consensus for aspects of recovery related to
service user involvement. Regarding how recovery can be supported for young people
participants placed emphasis on recovery as an ongoing process, the therapeutic relationship,
and working with families and the network around young people.
Conclusions/lmplications
Further research is needed to explore staff views of service user involvement in CAMHS, as
well as to investigate how staff might understand recovery across the developmental range in
CAMHS. The findings form the beginnings of a conceptualisation of what recovery is for
young people and how it can be implemented, however, this is the first study of its type and
research is required to further investigate the implementation of recovery-Olientated practice
in CAMHS.
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