Trans-Cultural Study of Recovery from Severe Enduring Mental Illness in Chennai, India and Perth, Western Australia

Abstract

Interest in consumer perspectives of recovery from severe enduring mental illness was kindled in the United States of America (USA) during the 1970’s and gathered momentum in the decades that followed. Research based on consumer narratives resulted in a consumer model of recovery. In the absence of similar international research intensity, the consumer recovery model from the USA was carried unchecked beyond its borders with little regard for cultural differences. This raised the question: How do consumers from different cultures construe recovery? To answer this data from a study conducted in Tamil Nadu, India were compared to data from an independent study conducted in Perth, Western Australia. Results showed remarkably similar views between consumer perspectives of recovery. Both samples revealed a strong clinical orientation toward recovery followed by social role functioning and to a lesser extent a personal orientation toward recovery. However, participant explanations for these differed, which clearly related to cultural values. We concluded that rather than polarizing the concepts of recovery related to a severe enduring mental illness it would seem more productive to consider the different concepts of recovery as the pillars of a unified framework that is culturally sensitive.