Recovery as a psychological construct

Community Ment Health J. 1999 Jun;35(3):231-9. doi: 10.1023/a:1018741302682.

Abstract

Mental health advocates have proposed recovery as a vision for severe mental illness. The purpose of this study is to examine psychometric characteristics of a measure of the psychological construct. Thirty-five participants in a partial hospitalization program were administered the Recovery Scale and measures of quality of life, social support, self-esteem, consumer empowerment, psychiatric symptoms, needs and resources, global functioning, and verbal intelligence. Results showed the scale to have satisfactory test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Analysis of the concurrent validity of the Recovery Scale showed recovery to be positively associated with self-esteem, empowerment, social support, and quality of life. It was inversely associated with psychiatric symptoms and age. Implications of these findings for a psychological model of recovery are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intelligence
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / psychology*
  • Psychological Tests*
  • Quality of Life
  • Recovery of Function*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Self Concept
  • Social Support