Why make the effort? Exploring recovery college engagement
| Date | 12 February 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-10-2017-0043 |
| Pages | 27-33 |
| Published date | 12 February 2018 |
| Author | Leanne Harper,Mick McKeown |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Social inclusion |
Why make the effort? Exploring
recovery college engagement
Leanne Harper and Mick McKeown
Abstract
Purpose –Whilst there is growing evidence to suggest that the recovery college (RC) environment supports
students towards their mental health recovery (Meddings et al., 2015b), students’initial motivations for
engagement, alongside factors that may hinder or support attendance, have yet to be exclusively explored.
The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach –All new RC students were invited to take part in a semi-structured
interview three months following their enrolment. Four participants completed an interview which were later
analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings –Four themes emerged within analysis: making the effort; being “too unwell”; friendly environment;
and glad I came. These are discussed alongside the literature, and it is proposed that whilst there is a
substantial struggle involved in engagement with a RC, likely related to mental health and social factors, the
RC environment, peer support and support of the tutors helps students to overcome the impact of this.
Research limitations/implications –Due to the small sample size and exploratory stance of this study,
additional research into the complexities around engagement with RCs is strongly recommended. Only
students who had attended at least one RC course chose to participate in this study, therefore an
under-researched population of non-attendees may provide a valuable contribution to further understanding.
Originality/value –This is one of the first studies to qualitatively explore factors which may support,
or hinder, initial and ongoing engagement with a RC. It is proposed that a greater understanding of these
important issues could be used to increase RC accessibility and inclusion.
Keywords Recovery college, Mental health, Recovery, Co-production
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Recovery colleges (RCs), as proposed by Perkins et al. (2012) are part of a shift to recovery
focussed organisational change in mental health services: a central focus on education and peer
support aims to develop people’s strengths in overcoming mental health difficulties. In light of
this, RCs offer co-developed and co-facilitated psychoeducational workshops. This operates on
college principles, whereby service users, carers and staff members self-enrol to become
“students”, and select courses from a prospectus.
Although the need for RC outcomes to be defined remains pivotal to development (Meddings
et al., 2015b; McGregor et al., 2016), a collection of studies has highlighted the benefits of RC
attendance for students and the organisation in which they are located (Zabel et al., 2016); with
Meddings et al. (2015b) concluding that attendance at the RC has consistently been found to be
useful, and help people progress towards their recovery goals. However, as noted by McGregor
et al. (2014), the crucial elements of RCs need to be further explored.
The emphasis on co-production and peer support within RCs is, arguably, the most widely noted
component of relevant academic discussion. Meddings et al. (2014) found that peer trainers
offered hope and inspiration to students, and the collaboration between “professional”and
“lived”experience has consistently been reported to be highly valued (Meddings et al., 2014,
2015b; Newman-Taylor et al., 2016; Zabel et al., 2016), in addition to tutors’personal values,
empathy and knowledge (Meddings et al., 2014; Zabel et al., 2016). Research has also
This research was partly funded by
the National Institute for Health
Research Collaboration for
Leadership in Applied Health
Research and Care North West
Coast (NIHR CLAHRC NWC).
The views expressed are those of
the author(s) and not necessarily
those of the NHS, the NIHR or the
Department or Health.
Leanne Harper is an Assistant
Psychologist at the Cheshire
and Wirral Partnership NHS
Foundation Trust,
Chester, UK.
Mick McKeown is based at the
University of Central
Lancashire, Preston, UK.
DOI 10.1108/MHSI-10-2017-0043 VOL. 22 NO. 1 2018, pp. 27-33, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308
j
MENTALHEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
j
PAG E 27
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