Evaluation of a recovery-oriented group intervention delivered in out-patient clinics

In mental health practice there is an increasing demand to deliver person-centered and recovery-oriented interventions. Mental health nurses have hesitated to deliver such interventions in groups in the mental health organization in Region North Denmark. However, in collaboration two service users, a researcher, and a mental health nurse designed and adapted a person-centered and recovery-oriented group intervention consisting of two discovery group sessions from the Tidal Modal and ten sessions with the Guided Self-Determination method. It was decided to evaluate the intervention in outpatient services due to clinical outcomes; personal recovery and self-esteem (decided by the service users) and implementation outcomes; acceptability, adoption, and appropriateness (decided by the researcher).

The study design was a mixed methods study conducted in three outpatient clinics from 2019 – 2020. Four mental health nurses volunteered to facilitate two groups each and consented to participate in the research project as participants. A group consisted of one facilitator and three or four patients.

Twenty-four patients gave consent to participate in the study. Seventeen participants completed the groups. The mean attendance rate for all 12 sessions was 73.33% with a range of 63.15 – 91.30%. Facilitators and patients found the content and structure of the group intervention acceptable and meaningful. Facilitators stated supervision to be a necessary mean to support their confidence in facilitating the intervention. Furthermore, participants improved their sense of self-esteem, and goal and success orientation in numbers and word after participation. Of note, the patients expressed that the peer support among the group participants was valued significantly. 

Facilitators and patients found the group intervention useful and acceptable, and patients found the intervention to impact their recovery process in everyday life.