Young people’s recovery “I think that support from experts and family or friends should still continue for those overcoming poor mental health, even long after they have begun their recovery. Sometimes difficult experiences don’t leave completely.” Tamzin, 16 years old Recovery is a journey and unique to each person Recovery refers to the lived experience of people as they accept and overcome the challenge of their poor mental health. Recovery is much more than achieving the absence of symptoms and means different things to different people. For some young people recovery can be a long-term process into and through adulthood and may not be linear – there may be setbacks along the way. Poor mental health affects young people differently and so recovery will be different for each young person. This holistic interpretation of recovery, primarily developed and promoted internationally by a mental health service user movement, was perhaps best described by W.A. Anthony in 1993: “... (Recovery) is a way of living a satisfying, hopeful and contributing life even with the limitations caused by illness. Recovery involves the development of new meaning and purpose in one’s life as one grows beyond the catastrophic effects of poor mental health.” (88) A wide variety of factors can influence recovery. These include having supportive social networks (family and/or friends) and playing a meaningful role in society, for example through education and extra curriculum opportunities. Recovery may also be impacted by the quality and availability of treatments, and the young person’s willingness and ability to take up the opportunities available to them.
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