ABSTRACT
For over 20 years, the vision of recovery from severe mental illnesses (SMI) such as schizophrenia and severe mood disorders, was the focus of only those on the margin of the mental health field. However, recently this vision has taken center stage in major policy documents and initiatives in the U.S. and throughout the world. In this chapter we discuss the concept of recovery for people with SMI. We begin by briefly reviewing major developments in medicine, social values, research, and policy that led to community support systems and the practice of psychiatric rehabilitation for persons with SMI. We then discuss the concept of recovery, including its many different definitions and meanings to different stakeholder groups, such as people with SMI and their families, clinicians, policymakers, and researchers. Finally, we look at recovery-oriented services, including the challenges and opportunities it generates for policymakers and the key issues and research agendas it poses for public mental health in the 21st century.
