Recovery experience forum of carers and users of services (REFOCUS): an autoethnographic investigation into its impact and future development
This paper highlights several issues that need addressing in future research on REFOCUS. The paper demonstrates the continuous presence of stigma within Irish mental health services. However, it also highlights a number of beneficial aspects to REFOCUS including informal peer support, service users, and family member involvement in college activities as well as increasing meaning and purpose in one's life along with a renewed identity different to that of the service user or family member.
Authors
- Christine O’Connor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9453-2427)
- Mary Ryan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2237-9368)
- Mia McLaughlin
- Michael John Norton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7420-9339)
- Andrew G. Ryder (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9355-5301)
- George Bridges
- Jeanine Webster
- Harry Kearns
- Catherine Bruen
- Brian McNulty
- Marina Bowe
- Paula Kilbride
- Anna Carthy
Institutions
- University of Medicine and Health Sciences (KN)
- University College Cork (IE)
- Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown (IE)
- Health Service Executive (IE)
- St. Luke's General Hospital (IE)
- Royal College of Psychiatrists (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine
- Published
- 2025-12-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2025.10134
- Primary Topic
- Mental Health and Patient Involvement
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00