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Cited by 49Personality Disorders and PsychopathologyMental Health and Patient InvolvementPsychiatric care and mental health services

Understanding recovery in the context of lived experience of personality disorders: a collaborative, qualitative research study

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Gillard, Steve, Turner, Kati, Neffgen, Marion·2015·BMC Psychiatry
DOI 10.1186/s12888-015-0572-0PMC PMC4521354
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Concepts of recovery increasingly inform the development and delivery of mental health services internationally. In the UK recent policy advocates the application of recovery concepts to the treatment of personality disorders. However diagnosis and understanding of personality disorders remains contested, challenging any assumption that mainstream recovery thinking can be directly translated into personality disorders services. METHODS: In a qualitative interview-based study understandings of recovery were explored in extended, in-depth interviews with six people purposively sampled from a specialist personality disorders' service in the UK. An interpretive, collaborative approach to research was adopted in which university-, clinical- and service user (consumer) researchers were jointly involved in carrying out interviews and analysing interview data. RESULTS: Findings suggested that recovery cannot be conceptualised separately from an understanding of the lived experience of personality disorders. This experience was characterised by a complexity of ambiguous, interrelating and conflicting feelings, thoughts and actions as individuals tried to cope with tensions between internally and externally experienced worlds. Our analysis was suggestive of a process of recovering or, for some, discovering a sense of self that can safely coexist in both worlds. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that key facilitators of recovery - positive personal relationships and wider social interaction - are also where the core vulnerabilities of individuals with lived experience of personaility disorders can lie. There is a role for personality disorders services in providing a safe space in which to develop positive relationships. Through discursive practice within the research team understandings of recovery were co-produced that responded to the lived experience of personality disorders and were of applied relevance to practitioners.

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  • There is a fine line between the demands one places on one's self (internal demands), the demands placed on one by others (external demands), and the person's resources.

    “There is a fine line between the demands one places on one’s self (internal demands), the demands placed on one by others (external demands), and the person’s resources as described in the literature (Doroud et al., 2015; Gillard, Turner, & Neffgen, 2015).”

    From "What an eye-opener" - a qualitative study of vulnerable citizens participating in a municipality-based intervention. (2018) · cites this paper as Gillard, Turner, & Neffgen, 2015

    The Results sections on lived experience and recovery (page numbers unavailable) describe tension between internal and external worlds, expectations from others, and choices about how much outside interaction participants could cope with. They do not frame this as a fine line between internal demands, external demands, and a person’s resources; that broader formulation goes beyond the paper’s account. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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  • Accounts of recovery found in the literature that fall within this category include "being positive" (78), "being happy and successful" (67, 77), "finding hope and purpose" (48), or "having a meaningful and satisfying life" (69), without a deeper description about what this meant.

    “Accounts of recovery found in the literature that fall within this category include “being positive” (78), “being happy and successful” (67, 77), “finding hope and purpose” (48), or “having a meaningful and satisfying life” (69), without a deeper description about what this meant.”

    From Recovery from Severe Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review of Service User and Informal Caregiver Perspectives (2021) · cites this paper as [78]

  • At the same time, some researchers have suggested there may be an excessive representativeness of user narratives which align with medical views due to user samples consisting for the most part of responsive persons who are in a disempowered position.

    “At the same time, some researchers have suggested there may be an excessive representativeness of user narratives which align with medical views due to user samples consisting for the most part of responsive persons who are in a disempowered position (78, 113, 114).”

    From Recovery from Severe Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review of Service User and Informal Caregiver Perspectives (2021) · cites this paper as [78]

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2 of the 53 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [22]McLeod J Qualitative research in counselling and psychotherapy- second edition 2011 London Sage
  2. [34]Turner K Neffgen M Gillard S Understanding Personality Disorders and Recovery 2011 London Emergence PMC4521354 26227023

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Authors
Gillard, S., Turner, K., & Neffgen, M.
Affiliations
  • St George's, University of London (GB)
  • South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust (GB)
Corresponding author
Gillard, Steve
ORCID
Venue
BMC Psychiatry
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2015-07-31
Volume
15
Issue
1
Pages
183-183
ISSN
1471-244X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s12888-015-0572-0
PMC
PMC4521354
OpenAlex
W1835032434
Cited by
49
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 1
FWCI
4.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BMC Psychiatry (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • St George's Online Research Archive (St George's University of London) (acceptedVersion)
  • City Research Online (City University London) (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mental Health and Patient Involvement
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychiatric care and mental health services
Keywords
recovery, personality disorders, lived experience, lived experience research, research collaboration, service user involvement, selfhood, interpersonal relationships, mental health services, recovery-oriented care
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Cooperative Behavior, Female, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Mental Health Services, Middle Aged, Personality Disorders, Qualitative Research

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