Recovery Vistas in Mental Health and Addiction

Abstract Recovery is a widely used and generally favorable term within mental health services, denoting positive and progressive developments in care and outcomes. Despite extensive research on recovery in the fields of serious mental health challenges and addiction, there remains no consensus regarding its conceptualization. In this article, we provide a historical account of the recovery concept as applied to mental health and addiction, followed by a discussion of recent research and conceptual developments. Recovery encompasses both the reduction of pathology and the enhancement of overall functioning and well-being. Accordingly, ethical considerations are pivotal, as the study of recovery inherently involves value judgments regarding what constitutes ‘good’ or ‘poor’ outcomes. Given the complexity of the concept, we propose the integration of different recovery paradigms—including clinical, personal, social, relational, and natural recovery. We examine the need to reconcile researcher-derived criteria with the perspectives of individuals who have lived experience of recovery. This discussion is framed in relation to the provision of evidence-based treatment, the delivery of tailored and individualized care, and the implementation of scientific findings in clinical practice.