Women's Recovery in Forensic Personality Disorder Services
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do women with borderline personality disorder, receiving treatment in medium- and low-secure services perceive recovery? A grounded theory study.
IRAS ID
218917
Contact name
Thomas Schröder
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 30 days
Research summary
Within mental health services, the concept of “recovery” is considered to conceptualise living a satisfying, hopeful and contributing life even with the limitations caused by mental illness. It is considered a personal recovery rather than simply the removal of symptoms and includes many changes at the individual and social level. Increasingly services are becoming focused not only on the treatment of the mental illness itself but also the wider aspects of an individual’s life. Personality disorder is a diagnosis given to individuals who can present with a number of difficulties in self-concept, how they relate to others, and how they manage their emotions. Until recently, people with this disorder were not considered treatable under the Mental Health Act. Research has demonstrated that individuals with this diagnosis see limited applicability of the concept of recovery. Individuals with this diagnosis may be detained under the Mental Health Act and provided with care and treatment for their mental illness. Additional restrictions can be put in place if the individual poses a risk to themselves or others. If the person has committed a criminal offence and has a mental disorder they may be held in special hospitals to ensure safety to the public whilst treating their disorder. Although recovery principles can be applied in all mental health services, women in secure services with personality disorder face unique challenges in their recovery. This client group have complex treatment needs and the suitability of contemporary recovery approaches for the group has not been established, particularly from their perspectives. As services continue to implement recovery-oriented practices it is important to understand what recovery processes take place for this client group and what helps or hinders these processes
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0231
Date of REC Opinion
20 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion