This is a randomized control trial. Participants will be recruited from the psychiatric rehabilitation organizations in Taiwan. They will be randomly assigned to the intervention group or control group. The recovery program has 2 phases and consists of 20 classes, 1.5 hour per class and one class per week. We will introduce concepts of recovery and personal strengths in phase 1. Then, we will help participants to set goals and implement their plans in phase 2. Participants will fill out five questionnaires during the recruitment meeting, including Stages of Recovery Scale, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, The Hope Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Brief Symptom Rating Scale-50. They will fill out the same questionnaires plus the course satisfaction survey in the end of phase 1 and 2. Six months later, participants will receive a follow-up interview and fill out the questionnaires again. The control group will receive a spiritual book and complete the questionnaires at the same time as the intervention group.
Recovery-oriented approach has been the main trend in mental health field. However, few recovery-oriented programs are available in Taiwan, and many Taiwanese people with mental illness don't understand the concepts of recovery. A program which provides recovery knowledge and assists in setting recovery goals is beneficial for Taiwanese people with mental illness. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a recovery program for people with mental illness.