Telling My Story Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative exploration of Telling My Story in mental health recovery.
IRAS ID
183263
Contact name
Kathryn (Kate) Pope
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 2 days
Research summary
Recovery-focused services are still growing within the UK. It is thought that what is needed to further challenge stigma in mental health is for those who have had a mental illness to be able to share their story with others. Research suggests that telling one’s story helps the individual to make sense of what has happened to them; to build a new identity that is not defined by the symptoms of their illness. It is thought that this helps to reduce the amount of self-stigma that people who have a mental illness often feel. Story telling has also been found to aid the healing process following traumatic experiences. We are now seeing the development of new interventions that combine story telling with traditional therapies; to reduce self-stigma and promote wellbeing.
The ‘Telling My Story’ course offered at some recovery college sites supports people to form their own recovery story and to share this with other members of the group. It is jointly run by mental health professionals and peer support tutors who have lived experience of mental illness, who also share their own story. Individuals attend for four half-day sessions and tell their story at the end in a form of their choice (for example: written, spoken, artwork).
The aim of this study is to understand what it is like for people to form their own recovery story and share it with others, and whether this process is helpful to them in their recovery journey. Knowing about this process, and the impact that it has on the people involved, is needed in order to guide how we continue to use story telling in mental health recovery. The researcher will interview people who have attended the Telling My Story course to understand their personal experience of telling their story.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0148
Date of REC Opinion
15 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion