‘My Journey’: A Qualitative Study of Recovery From the Perspective of Individuals With Chronic Mental Illness

ABSTRACT

Due to the humanistic paradigm shift in recent years, mental health recovery has been approached through personal recovery beyond the limits of the biomedical perspective, emphasising the subjective perception and uniqueness of the individual. Therefore, approaching recovery perceptions from patients' perspectives has gained importance. This study aimed to examine in depth the recovery perceptions of individuals with chronic mental illness. It is a qualitative study conducted using a phenomenological design. The study group consisted of 12 patients who had been undergoing treatment for mental illness for at least 1 year and were selected by purposive sampling method. Data were collected face‐to‐face using a semi‐structured interview form and analysed using the content analysis technique. The content analysis revealed three main themes and seven sub‐themes. The themes were journey (a meaningful life, optimal functioning, new identity), journey ticket (resilience, support systems) and stones on the road (traditional perspective, barriers). In conclusion, the study results revealed that individuals in the recovery process required support and counselling to make sense of the process and adapt their identity. Employment should be used more effectively in the recovery process of individuals with chronic mental illness. Recovery can only be achieved by breaking away from the traditional perspective of healing and combating the perception of society towards patients. Accordingly, psychiatric nurses should provide effective guidance and counselling to show that individuals can create and live a meaningful life alongside their illnesses.

1. Introduction

Mental health is a state of well‐being that enables people to realise their abilities, cope with the usual stresses of life, work efficiently and contribute to their community (World Health Organization (WHO) ²⁰²²). By its nature, the concept of mental health brings with it the distinction between clinical and personal recovery (Yüksel et al. 2023). In mental health, clinical recovery refers to reduced symptoms/remission, improved social functioning and a return to the patient's previous state of health, reflecting the biomedical perspective (Slade 2009). Nevertheless, mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders (WHO ²⁰²²).

The early 2000s witnessed a humanistic paradigm shift in mental health with the transformation in the delivery of mental health services in countries such as the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom. This paradigmatic shift has redirected attention from psychopathology and dysfunction to skills, qualities and optimal functioning (Wand 2013). Accordingly, the concept of personal recovery began to be mentioned in mental health (Wand 2015). Personal recovery refers to a journey that enables an individual with mental illness to live a meaningful life in the community while striving to achieve their full potential (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ²⁰⁰⁴). This transformational journey opens up an alternative perspective to foster resilience and promote independence (Wand 2013). It offers the individual the opportunity to create and live a meaningful life beyond the limitations of the diagnosis (Wand 2015). In this regard, personal recovery can be defined as the process of learning how to live with a persistent mental disorder (Davidson 2010).

Personal recovery takes a subjective and holistic perspective (Hogan 2003) defined by the individual (Slade 2009; Yüksel et al. ²⁰²³). In this sense, recovery acquires a unique meaning in the individual's language (Bejerholm and Roe 2018). Recovery is an ongoing struggle that also involves failures. Continuing or discontinuing the struggle is a personal choice (Salzmann‐Erikson ²⁰¹³). Therefore, analysing recovery experiences through the perspectives of individuals with chronic mental illness is highly essential for reflecting the dynamics of recovery from patients' perspectives.

The literature contains several studies on recovery in mental health; however, the number of qualitative studies examining recovery from patients' perspectives is limited (Kidd, Kenny, and McKinstry ²⁰¹⁵; Durgu and Dulgerler ²⁰²¹; Mathew, Nirmala, and Kommu ²⁰²³; Hegde et al. ²⁰²⁴; Ventosa‐Ruiz et al. ²⁰²⁴). Delivering effective healthcare services requires approaching recovery from patients' perspectives and identifying its dynamics. Identifying the recovery perceptions of individuals with chronic mental illness could guide psychiatric nurses, the key members of the mental healthcare team, in guiding patients' recovery processes effectively. The outcomes may help to align the recovery perceptions from the nurse–patient perspective and help nurses understand the key elements based on patients' recovery stages (Ventosa‐Ruiz et al. ²⁰²⁴). In addition, exploring this perception could facilitate care planning to meet patients' expectations on their journey towards recovery. In this regard, this study aimed to examine in depth the recovery perceptions of individuals with chronic mental illness.

1.1. Research Questions

• What are the perceptions of individuals with chronic mental illness about mental recovery?

• How do individuals with chronic mental illness evaluate their mental recovery?

2. Methods

2.1. Design

The study was conducted using a phenomenological design. The phenomenological design is a research design where individuals describe their perspectives about a phenomenon. These descriptions enable us to reach the essence of the experiences of individuals with diverse experiences similar to the phenomena being studied (Van Manen ¹⁹⁹⁰). In this regard, personal and unique recovery perceptions were examined in detail from the perspective of individuals with chronic mental disorders within a phenomenological design. The study was reported based on the Consolidated Criteria for Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist, a guide for reporting qualitative research (Tong, Sainsbury, and Craig ²⁰⁰⁷).

2.2. Sampling

The study group consisted of 12 patients undergoing treatment for mental illness. The inclusion criteria were to be above 18 years of age and to have been undergoing treatment due to a mental illness for at least 1 year. Since being in the attack period of the mental illness would affect the semi‐structured interview and the results of the study, individuals in this period were not included in the study. The literature suggests that instead of large groups, the number of participants could be determined based on data saturation and with groups that meet the objectives of the research and could supply detailed data (Coyne 1997). Data saturation is defined as continuing to collect data until the concepts that may address the research question begin to repeat (reach saturation point) and determining the sufficiency of the number of participants when the concept begins to repeat (Collins, Onwuegbuzie, and Jiao ²⁰⁰⁷). In this study, patients were continued to be included until data saturation was achieved. None of the patients dropped out of the study.

2.3. Data Collection

The study was conducted in the psychiatry outpatient clinic of a university hospital in the capital city of Türkiye. Participants were determined using purposive sampling. Patients who were registered in the hospital where the study was conducted, who presented to the outpatient clinic for follow‐up and who met the inclusion criteria were informed about the study by the psychiatrist involved in the study. Patients who agreed to participate in the study were referred to the second author of the study. The second author explained the study in detail to the patients and obtained their written and verbal consent.

Data were collected face‐to‐face using the semi‐structured interview technique. The semi‐structured interview form prepared by the researchers based on the literature was used as a data collection tool (Mezey et al. 2010; Soygür et al. ²⁰¹⁷). The interview form consisted of open‐ended questions (10 questions) assessing patients' recovery perceptions, including two introductory, five essential and three probing questions.

The interview questions were formulated after an extensive literature review on recovery to ensure the validity of the interview form. The interview questions were consulted by three expert professors with a PhD degree in mental health and illness nursing experienced in qualitative research. The interview form was revised based on the experts' feedback. In addition, a preliminary application was conducted with one patient to improve the comprehensibility and applicability of the form and standardise the interview; however, these data were not included in the analysis. The semi‐structured interview form was finalised after the preliminary application (Table 1).

TABLE 1.

Semi‐structured interview questions.

1. Can you please tell us about yourself?

2. Can you describe what it is like to live with a mental illness?

2.1. What has changed in your life since the beginning of your illness?

3. What do you think about your progress today after starting treatment?

4. What does recovery mean to you?

4.1. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of recovery?

4.2. If you were to liken recovery to something, what would it be? Why?

5. What would make you think you have recovered?

6. What do you think played a role in your recovery?

7. Is there anything else you would like to say or add about this topic?

Interviews were conducted between December 2023 and February 2024 by the second researcher with a PhD degree in psychiatric nursing and experience in qualitative interviewing. The researcher had no previous contact with the patients. The interviews were digitally recorded with a voice recorder. First, the patients were informed about the objective and details of the study. Written informed consent was obtained from the patients who agreed to participate in the study. Patients were then asked to repeat aloud their consent to participate in the study for recording. Interviews were conducted in one of the interview rooms in the psychiatric outpatient clinic. Interviews were conducted in a setting where the researcher and the participant could see each other comfortably, free of noise and confusion and convenient for communication to ensure the privacy of the patients and enable them to better express themselves. Each interview lasted about 25–53 min.

2.4. Analysis

The audio recordings obtained during the study were transcribed, yielding a 132‐page raw data document. Data were manually analysed by the researchers using the content analysis technique. In data analysis, all transcriptions were read in‐depth by identifying key phrases or sentences referring to the phenomenon under study (Moser and Korstjens 2018). The codes were then categorised based on their similarities and differences to generate the core idea from the data. Three themes and seven sub‐themes were obtained based on the codes obtained in the study. The themes and meta‐themes that emerged are presented in Table 3 with quotations from the participants' statements.

TABLE 3.

Themes emerging from the interviews.

Themes	Sub‐themes
Journey	A meaningful life
	Optimal functioning
	New identity
Journey ticket	Resilience
	Support systems
Stones on the road	Traditional perspective
	Barriers

2.5. Credibility and Trustworthiness of Qualitative Data

In this study, in‐depth data collection, expert review and participant confirmation were used to achieve internal validity. External validity was achieved through a detailed description of the role of the researcher, the research setting, data collection and analysis strategies. Consistency analysis was performed to ensure internal reliability. External reliability was achieved by storing the raw data and coding by the researchers (Creswell and Clark 2017).

2.6. Ethical Considerations

The study protocol was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by an independent ethics committee. Aydın Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Nursing Non‐Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee approved the study (Date: 07/07/2023, Number: E‐76261397‐050.99‐365272). The institutional permission was obtained from the university hospital where the study was conducted (Date: 07/12/2023, Number: E‐70558629‐622.03‐1177048). Written and verbal informed consent was obtained from all participants. Participants' names were not included to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. Participants' data were directly quoted by using codes indicating the participant numbers and mental illness diagnoses, instead of names. The file containing participant and code names, voice recording files and raw data transcribed from voice recordings were secured with folder encryption software and stored by the first author of the study.

3. Results

3.1. Interview and Sample Characteristics

Half of the participants were female and half were male. The mean age was 34.58 ± 18.57 years, the mean duration of treatment was 8.83 ± 7.10 years and the majority of the participants were unemployed. Characteristics of the participants are presented in Table 2.

TABLE 2.

Characteristics of participants.

Participants	Characteristics
	Age	Gender	Employment status	Diagnosis	Duration of treatment (years)
P1	80	Female	Retired	Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD)	20
P2	54	Male	Retired	BAD	25
P3	28	Male	Employed	Anxiety Disorder	6
P4	25	Female	Unemployed	Anxiety Disorder	7
P5	54	Female	Retired	BAD	10
P6	20	Male	Unemployed	Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)	7
P7	31	Male	Employed	Schizophrenia	10
P8	28	Female	Unemployed	Anorexia Nervosa	10
P9	32	Male	Employed	BAD	2
P10	20	Female	Unemployed	BAD	3
P11	19	Female	Unemployed	Schizophrenia	4
P12	24	Male	Employed	MDD	2

3.2. Themes Emerging From the Interviews

In the study, three themes and seven sub‐themes emerged regarding the recovery perceptions of individuals with chronic mental illness. The themes and sub‐themes obtained in the study are presented in Table 3.

4. Theme 1. Journey

Almost all participants described recovery as a journey within a process, not in an instant. Participants mentioned that they had experienced changes on this journey and some factors made the journey meaningful. They also expressed their desired destination at the end of the journey. The journey theme was examined under three sub‐themes: a meaningful life, optimal functioning and a new identity.

4.1. Sub‐Theme 1.1. A Meaningful Life

Most participants emphasised that their recovery depended on feeling peaceful and happy in life. They highlighted the significance of hope, participation in life and feeling alive for recovery, which they described as a new life. Almost all participants mentioned that they would feel recovered when they could live their lives meaningfully and enjoy it.

If I can enjoy life, it means I have recovered, I am alive. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense. (P5‐BAD)

I think a person is healthy, fine, and recovered if they do not stay at home alone all the time, they have a social life, can produce, and reflect their potential in life. (P3‐Anxiety Disorder)

For me, recovery (means) peace of mind. I want to have peace of mind, when I breathe I want to breathe peacefully, that's what recovery means to me. (P8‐Anorexia Nervosa)

The new life promises new hopes, a new job, new friendships… A home to build for myself. I get excited about these. (P4‐Anxiety Disorder)

4.2. Sub‐Theme 1.2. Optimal Functioning

Almost all participants associated recovery with being able to function in their roles and responsibilities and maintaining them. They stated that they would consider themselves to have recovered if they could take responsibility in life, effectively fulfil the roles necessary in daily life, have a job and maintain them. They also highlighted that working facilitates participating in social life and promotes recovery. Most participants also touched upon the significance of social functioning in their lives, emphasising that they would recover if they could establish effective social relationships and that social interaction positively affected recovery.

I'll feel recovered if I can take on adult tasks by myself. We have a tractor, my father usually drives it. If I start driving it, I'll feel recovered. (P6‐MDD)

I can assume that I have recovered when I go to work, when I get back to my job. If I can go to work and continue comfortably, I'll say that I've recovered. (P7‐Schizophrenia)

I'll think I've recovered if there are people around me. You know, a social life, friends. And they affect recovery positively. (P4‐Anxiety Disorder)

Recovering… I should be able to fulfill my motherly duties, all my duties. For example, if I can manage my chores bymyself, if I can clean my house, do the cleaning, cook, and reach a point where I can take care of myself, then I will be happy that I have recovered, then I will say that I have recovered. (P5‐BAD)

4.3. Sub‐Theme 1.3. New Identity

Participants associated recovery with a road and journey, describing it as a condition that requires a process, building of a new identity, change and improvement. They underlined that they reacquainted themselves with their illnesses and built a new identity. They stated that they perceived completing the illness process with improvement as recovery and they had achieved it.

It's a journey. It doesn't happen immediately. You can't just assume recovering the next day. Sometimes it can take months, years, it's a process… (P4‐Anxiety Disorder)

I have never stood back because I am bipolar.… I wanted to know myself, know again… And I did (P10‐BAD)

Recovering is like entering a favored season. Spring! Like nature reviving, rejuvenating itself. (P1‐BAD)

5. Theme 2. Journey Ticket

Most participants expressed that there were factors essential in the journey to recovery and factors that made it easier. The journey ticket theme was analysed under two sub‐themes: resilience and support systems.

5.1. Sub‐Theme 2.1. Resilience

While the majority of the participants indicated that there were many factors affecting the recovery process, they emphasised the significance of intrinsic factors. They highlighted the value of the individual's self‐efficacy, self‐confidence, motivation and effort in the recovery process and expressed that the most crucial factor in their recovery was themselves.

I think I am the person most responsible for my recovery. I think I am a valuable person and I know how to bring out those values. So, the biggest role belongs to me, then to the therapy team, my therapist, my healthcare team, and then my circle. (P3‐Anxiety Disorder)

5.2. Sub‐Theme 2.2. Support Systems

Most participants associated the factors facilitating recovery with treatment, support and social acceptance. They stressed the significance of the relationship with the physician during the recovery process and stated that this relationship gave them strength and confidence. Participants noted that positive attitudes and support from family members positively affected recovery, while negative attitudes and approaches affected it adversely. They pointed out that medication, electroconvulsive therapy, psychotherapy, etc. were necessary and beneficial in the recovery process. Some participants indicated that being accepted by the community in social life was a factor affecting their recovery positively.

I strongly trusted and believed in my physician and honestly, I achieved everything by believing in them. Their words and their genuine support for me always kept me going. (P10‐BAD)

The support of my family, especially my brother, helps me a lot. The way they support you makes me feel that they truly support me. They sit next to me quietly if needed, talk to me when necessary, and consult such places (hospitals) when required, it feels good. (P11‐Schizophrenia)

I think pharmacology is helpful (for recovery). They support with injections when necessary and medication when needed… In therapy, I think part of the work depends on mutual trust. (P3‐Anxiety Disorder)

And the perspective of the society towards you… It is very important; that is, the community will not perceive you as sick… For instance, I go to coffee houses, many are my friends from childhood. No one will say you're sick or anything like that, they won't treat you like you're sick! (P2‐BAD)

6. Theme 3. Stones on the Road

Many participants also mentioned the factors complicating the recovery process, which they described as a journey. Stones on the road theme was analysed under two sub‐themes: traditional perspective and barriers.

6.1. Sub‐Theme 3.1. Traditional Perspective

Some participants associated recovery with reduced symptoms/remission, returning to a state before the illness and expecting a miracle cure. Participants expressed that they would perceive themselves as recovered if they could regain their life before the illness, underlining a return to the old self. They stated that they could recover with a magic touch, something miraculous and emphasised that recovery was impossible for them.

They can tell me you're no longer bipolar. I will have recovered if I live for a long time without an attack. (P2‐BAD)

I want to recover so desperately, I want to get rid of it as soon as possible, I mean, I want to get rid of like taking off a dress they've put on me, I'm fighting for it. Returning to my previous life, I suppose, that's what recovery means to me. (P1‐BAD)

All I need for recovering is a new treatment method. Medicine, injections… I mean, can't I expect to recover magically… Yes! A miracle! (P11‐Schizophrenia)

6.2. Sub‐Theme 3.2. Barriers

Some participants reported a substantial barrier to their recovery, namely stigma. They mentioned that they were subjected to stigmatisation by others and emphasised that it adversely affected their recovery.

You are sick, you should stand back, you are sick, you think wrong… Because the illness is like a stain on those people. Everything has good and bad sides, but they only see the bad side and don't know the good side. You're sick, stay out of it. I mean, don't stop me… I don't put that barrier, the external factors put it there. (P10‐BAD)

…they sent me from the institution where I was working to another institution just because I was a psychiatric patient; even though I was good at my job. Challenging, upsetting, and very heartbreaking because it is very difficult to accept this…You sometimes ask yourself why you are experiencing this. In addition, the lack of support makes the situation worse… When they noticed my illness, they did not behave me as before and they did not give me any responsibility. They deprived me of my authority; they did not trust me. (P3‐Anxiety Disorder)

7. Discussion

This qualitative study examined in depth the recovery perceptions of individuals with chronic mental illness.

Some prominent concepts stressed in interpreting the personal recovery process include connectedness, hope, optimism about the future and meaning in life (Leamy et al. 2011). Similarly, almost all patients in this study associated recovery with the ability to participate in life and feel alive, emphasising peace and hope. Previous studies also found a positive relationship between hope and personal recovery (Barbic et al. 2018; Lim et al. ²⁰¹⁹). A study on patients with schizophrenia reported that making sense of life was one of the most significant components of recovery (Andresen, Oades, and Caputi ²⁰⁰³). Currently, recovery has been conceptualised as the ability to create and live a meaningful life beyond the limitations of a medical diagnosis (Wand 2015). Therefore, psychiatric nurses should evaluate the way individuals make sense of their illness experience and support them in discovering the meaning of life over the illness experience.

In personal recovery, social networks and autonomy are considered key elements of recovery (Shepherd, Doyle, et al. ²⁰¹⁶; Shepherd, Sanders, et al. ²⁰¹⁶). Similarly, participants of our study expressed that taking responsibility, self‐sufficiency, working and maintaining a job, fulfilling their roles in life and establishing effective social relationships played a key role in perceiving themselves as recovered. These elements underline the shift in patients' recovery perception from psychopathology and dysfunction to skills, qualities and optimal functioning, consistent with the paradigmatic shift in recovery (Wand 2013). Studies reported that living independently and participating in productive activities actively and autonomously helped patients integrate into society (Cabral et al. 2024; Ryu et al. ²⁰¹²) and supported mental recovery (Jun and Choi 2020). Similarly, a study on patients with schizophrenia found that taking responsibility for life was one of the most prominent components of recovery (Andresen, Oades, and Caputi ²⁰⁰³). In our study, participants indicated that having a job would promote recovery. Hancock, Honey, and Bundy (2015) emphasised that working was critical to recovery. According to a study conducted on patients with schizophrenia, working is a part of life and is essential (Duman et al. 2021). In addition, our study revealed that working was expressed by individuals as a means of socialisation rather than a financial resource. This was a distinctive result of our study, indicating that professional life facilitated participation in social life and helped recovery. Patients included in a study reported feeling that their recovery was hindered by social, economic, cultural and political inequalities (Gamieldien et al. 2022). Social, economic, cultural and political inequalities cannot be neglected in considering the employment and opportunities offered to individuals with mental illness. Therefore, psychiatric nurses should adopt a service approach within biopsychosocial integrity beyond the boundaries of hospital walls, act as policymakers empowered by their advocacy role and carry out activities to draw attention to the employment of patients. This could go beyond supporting patients' participation at work to promoting their social inclusion.

In our study, some participants stated that they would feel recovered when they could effectively perform the roles needed in daily life. The meta‐synthesis study by Shepherd, Doyle, et al. (2016) and Shepherd, Sanders, et al. (2016) also underlined the importance of social network dynamics in supporting the recovery process. Another study demonstrated that personal recovery in individuals with bipolar disorder was adversely correlated with difficulties in fulfilling social roles and positively correlated with satisfaction with role performance (Kraiss et al. 2019). Psychiatric nurses should support patients' recovery by implementing psychoeducation practices based on role performance.

Personal recovery is obviously a complex concept requiring further research and empirical support. As often emphasised, personal recovery is also an individual and unique journey, with a nature that takes on its meaning in the person's language (Slade 2009; Hogan ²⁰⁰³; Leamy et al. ²⁰¹¹; Bejerholm and Roe ²⁰¹⁸; Gamieldien et al. ²⁰²¹; Durgu and Dulgerler ²⁰²¹). Similar to the literature, we can say that patients in this study perceived recovery as a journey of gaining a new identity. Mental recovery refers to a multidimensional process of change towards a new self with a new value system (Jacob and Munro 2017). Given that the patients in this study approached recovery by emphasising a journey of gaining a new identity, it should be noted that the counselling, guidance and care to be provided by psychiatric nurses while accompanying the patient would be among the key services of this journey. Nurses should provide this health service from the perspective of personal recovery beyond the traditional recovery perception.

In our study, patients approached recovery emphasising the construction of a new identity and improvement. In the literature on personal recovery, identity is another significant concept emphasised by Leamy et al. (2011) in their discussion of recovery processes. Some participants of this study mentioned constructing a new identity to adapt to the changing dynamics of life with their illness and defined it as recovery. According to the literature, personal recovery involves the process of redefining oneself and emphasises participating in life again and building a new life (Sheedy and Whitter 2013). In addition, it is emphasised that identity should be studied as a changing feature in the recovery process in individuals with chronic mental illness (Shepherd, Doyle, et al. ²⁰¹⁶; Shepherd, Sanders, et al. ²⁰¹⁶). Similarly, a mixed‐method study testing psychiatric nursing practice based on a recovery‐oriented approach reported that one of the significant outcomes of personal recovery was identity and self‐redefinition (Yüksel et al. 2023). In this regard, psychiatric nurses should guide individuals to support their improvement in rediscovering themselves and constructing a new identity based on their illness experience.

As an experience, recovery refers to a process undertaken by the individual during the act of living (Mengshoel and Feiring 2020). Resilience and support systems play a crucial role in this process (Echezarraga et al. 2024). Hence, patients in the present study also reported self‐efficacy, self‐confidence and individual effort for recovery as elements of resilience. These elements were grounded in the statement that they were the key factors supporting their recovery. These results revealed that psychiatric nurses should support patients' self‐perception during the recovery period. Almost all patients stated that physician support, family support, medication, electroconvulsive therapy, psychotherapy, etc. supported their recovery. Similarly, Fernandes et al. (2021) found that interpersonal relationships and treatments were essential in mental healthcare for individuals with severe mental illness and emphasised that maintaining ties with the family and the trust relationship established with the psychiatrist affected the management of the illness and treatment process. Patients in another study reported that medications, psychotherapies and trusted relationships (with primary care providers) were critical to mental healthcare and contributed to recovery (Ashcroft et al. 2021).

In our study, some participants underlined social acceptance in social life as a factor positively affecting their recovery. In a qualitative study, social support was reported as a significant factor in recovery (Jun and Choi 2020). Similarly, a scoping review study concluded that social relationships (with healthcare providers, family and community members) were vital for recovery and social support facilitated recovery (Gamieldien et al. 2021). As providers of social support, psychiatric nurses should provide training to the patient's family and friends on how to support recovery and conduct adaptation projects for patients to initiate and maintain healthy social relationships (Jun and Choi 2020). Accordingly, psychiatric nurses should take an active role as trainers in the activities to be conducted for the community to facilitate social acceptance.

In our study, some participants stated that they perceived reduced symptoms or remission as recovery and they would feel recovered if they could return to their previous state before the illness. This perspective is consistent with the definition of clinical recovery, which is a reflection of the biomedical perspective (Slade 2009). This perspective reveals a traditional perspective, as mental health practices based on personal recovery have become more common nowadays. Therefore, psychiatric nurses should provide effective guidance and counselling to show patients that recovery is not just about reduced symptoms, remission, etc., that approach reflects a traditional perspective, yet individuals can create and live a meaningful life with their illness. They should also encourage other psychiatric nurses to implement personal recovery‐oriented practices at the patient's service.

In this study, some participants explained that they were otherised by society and stigmatised as sick. Patients argued that this hindered their recovery. Similarly, studies reported that stigmatisation affected recovery negatively (Emmer, Dorn, and Mata ²⁰²⁴; Sum et al. ²⁰²⁴). Recovery‐oriented practices in the literature focus on discrimination and overcoming humiliation and stigmatisation (Sheedy and Whitter 2013). Therefore, psychiatric nurses should be key implementers of recovery‐oriented interventions and strive to produce lasting solutions to stigmatisation.

8. Conclusion

Despite the growing trend of research on personal recovery in mental health around the world, the concept has only begun to be studied in Türkiye in recent years. The current study is one of the few in Türkiye that focuses on personal recovery from a mental illness. The results of the present study may help mental health care professionals to develop and implement recovery‐oriented services sensitive to the subjective experiences of persons with mental illness. In conclusion, the results of the study reveal that individuals in the recovery process require support and counselling to make sense of this process and adapt their identity. Employment should be used more effectively in the recovery process of individuals with chronic mental illness. Recovering requires breaking away from the traditional perspective of recovery and challenging the social perspective towards patients. Including individualised treatment and therapeutic approaches in mental health services can contribute to the recovery process.

9. Study Limitations

This study has certain limitations. First, the results represent the individuals included in the study group and cannot be generalised. Second, data were collected through semi‐structured interviews; therefore, their reliability is limited to the accuracy of the information provided by the participants. Lastly, the differences in participants' diagnoses and the duration of their treatment can be considered as another limitation. However, the similarity of the responses given by the participants and the themes obtained revealed that the process itself was more important in the recovery of mental illnesses than the diagnosis and the duration of treatment for individuals experiencing the illness.

10. Relevance to Clinical Practice

This study, which reveals the meaning of recovery from patients' perspectives, is expected to facilitate the inclusion of individuals with chronic mental illness in mental healthcare and provide guidance to psychiatric nurses. Accordingly, psychiatric nurses should assess how individuals make sense of the illness experience and support them in discovering the meaning of life through the illness experience, engage in activities drawing attention to the employment of patients, support social participation, conduct psychoeducation practices based on role performance, provide health services from the perspective of personal recovery beyond the traditional recovery perception, support personal improvement in constructing a new identity through the illness experience, conduct training activities for the community to facilitate social acceptance, provide effective guidance and counselling to show that they can create and live a meaningful life alongside their illness and aim to produce lasting solutions to stigmatisation.

Author Contributions

Rüveyda Yüksel: conceptualisation, methodology, data analysis, writing – original draft preparation. Yasemin Çekiç: conceptualisation, methodology, data collection and analysis, data analysis, writing – review and editing. Burçin Çolak: conceptualisation, methodology, data collection and analysis, data analysis, writing – review and editing. Open access funding provided by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK).

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.