How do recorded mental health recovery narratives create connection and improve hopefulness?

Ng, Fiona; Newby, Christopher; Robinson, Clare; Llewellyn-Beardsley, Joy; Yeo, Caroline; Roe, James; Rennick-Egglestone, Stefan; Smith, Roger; Booth, Susie; Bailey, Sylvia; Castelein, Stynke; Callard, Felicity; Arbour, Simone; Slade, Mike

Abstract

Background: Mental health recovery narratives are an active ingredient of recovery-oriented interventions such as peer support. Recovery narratives can create connection and hope, but there is limited evidence on the predictors of impact. Aims: The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of the narrator, narrative content and participant which predict the short-term impact of recovery narratives on participants. Method: Independent studies were conducted in an experimental (n = 40) and a clinical setting (n = 13). In both studies, participants with mental health problems received recorded recovery narratives and rated impact on hopefulness and connection. Predictive characteristics were identified using multi-level modelling. Results: The experimental study found that narratives portraying a narrator as living well with mental health problems that is intermediate between no and full recovery, generated higher self-rated levels of hopefulness. Participants from ethnic minority backgrounds had lower levels of connection with narrators compared to participants from a white background, potentially due to reduced visibility of a narrator’s diversity characteristics. Conclusions: Narratives describing partial but not complete recovery and matching on ethnicity may lead to a higher impact. Having access to narratives portraying a range of narrator characteristics to maximise the possibility of a beneficial impact on connection and hopefulness.

Citation

Ng, F., Newby, C., Robinson, C., Llewellyn-Beardsley, J., Yeo, C., Roe, J., …Slade, M. (2022). How do recorded mental health recovery narratives create connection and improve hopefulness?. Journal of Mental Health, 31(2), 273-280. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2021.2022627

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 14, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jan 5, 2022
• Publication Date: Mar 4, 2022
• Deposit Date: Oct 15, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 6, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Mental Health
• Print ISSN: 0963-8237
• Electronic ISSN: 1360-0567
• Publisher: Informa UK Limited
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 273-280
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2021.2022627
• Keywords: Psychiatry and Mental health; General Medicine
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/6460791
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09638237.2021.2022627
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=ijmh20; Received: 2021-04-26; Revised: 2021-09-07; Accepted: 2021-10-14; Published: 2022-01-05