Recovery revisited: a critical reflection on the suitability of recovery frameworks for child and youth mental health services

The recovery concept has been widely integrated into mental health policy, services, and research. However, its applicability across diverse contexts and populations remains a subject of ongoing critique. This paper discusses key issues pertaining to the suitability of implementing the recovery approach in child and youth mental health services, including adult-centric foundations of the recovery concept; limited multi-stakeholder participatory research; privileging individualistic ideologies; differences in developmental stages; differences in illness trajectory, mental health experiences, and service provider interactions; and different systems of care and social environments. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research.