‘What Comes With Goodbye?’ Discharge Planning in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services—A Lived Experience Narrative

As demonstrated through this lived experience piece, when discharge is planned efficiently and with the person involved throughout, then the overall experience of the service and of the discharge process, particularly in CAMHS, is a positive one. However, as noted in this narrative, unfortunately, this ideal is often not met, and despite the good that is achieved from accessing services, discharge when unplanned and not considered in the unique context of the person can lead to a return to unwellness. In essence, this narrative advocates for a recovery-oriented, person-centred approach to discharge planning and execution in CAMHS so that a person, like Will, can live a life of their choosing, free from unwellness.