Wellbeing, Recovery and Mental Health

Description

This book brings together two bodies of knowledge - wellbeing and recovery. Wellbeing and 'positive' approaches are increasingly influencing many areas of society. Recovery in mental illness has a growing empirical evidence base. For the first time, overlaps and cross-fertilisation opportunities between the two bodies of knowledge are identified. International experts present innovations taking place within the mental health system, which include wellbeing-informed new therapies, e-health approaches and peer-led recovery communities. State-of-the-art applications of wellbeing to the wider community are also described, across education, employment, parenting and city planning. This book will be of interest to anyone connected with the mental health system, especially people using and working in services, and clinical and administrators leaders, and those interested in using research from the mental health system in the wider community.

Mike Slade is Professor of Health Services Research in the Health Service and Population Research Department, King's College London. Lindsay Oades is Associate Professor of Positive Psychology at the Centre for Positive Psychology, University of Melbourne. Aaron Jarden is Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Research Officer at the Human Potential Centre, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.

'This exciting collection of groundbreaking research from around the world shows how hope, recovery, and wellbeing are far better than suffering, misery, and illness as guiding concepts for policy and practice in mental health and beyond, to civil society.' Larry Davidson, Yale University, Connecticut 'Slade, Oades, and Jarden have fostered a long-overdue conversation within this book - between clinicians focusing on recovery, and positive psychologists focusing on well-being. Although the first group has traditionally focused on returning clients to baseline, the other group has tried to leave the baseline behind, for new heights of well-being. The upshot of the conversation is this: that the processes bringing recovery and the processes bringing well-being are much the same, though they have been focused on in isolation. This book also stakes a claim for diversity, and the equal personhood of 'victims' needing to 'recover' from mental illness. They are not different from us, it turns out: they ARE us.' Ken Sheldon, Curators' Professor of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri '... research has been converging on the idea that positive psychological approaches have great utility for people at risk for and experiencing mental disorders. This book provides a much needed framework for synthesizing that literature and planning ahead for what is sure to be a vibrant and massively impactful field of study.' Acacia Parks, Hiram College, Ohio