Living A Meaningful Life While Struggling with Mental Health - Challenging aspects regarding personal recovery encountered in the mental health system

Based upon academic and clinical experience from Denmark this article aims to highlight inter-national research-based knowledge concerning challenging aspects about the understanding and implementation of recovery-oriented practice. Three key points are located: a) An integrative biopsychosocial approach considering both the clinical and personal recovery perspectives is relevant for research and practice. b) Barriers in implementing a recovery-oriented approach include both individual and systemic challenges. This is well documented in research-based literature highlighting the need for changes. c) A shift from professional‐control to service‐user orientation is seen as crucial. Examples of a positive shift are seen, helping the health professionals in their development and practicing of skills and competences through education and personal formation. Within these perspectives a paradigm shift from a one-dimensional biomedical approach to a
biopsychosocial approach, is suggested. Instead of focusing on rapid stabilization and symptom re-lief as a clinical outcome, a humanistic approach building on social- and person-oriented values is fundamental for social and personal recovery leading to a meaningful life.