Recovery-oriented Programmes to Support the Recovery Approach to Mental Health in Africa: Findings of PhD: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Researchers in the field of mental health and people living with a diagnosis of mental illness advocate recovery-oriented mental healthcare approach. Most developed countries have adopted the recovery-oriented approach in mental health facilities to care for people diagnosed with mental illness. However, Africa is left behind in implementing and adopting such a model of care. Objective: The objective of the review was to explore the global literature on recovery-oriented mental healthcare programmes, where they originate, are implemented, as well as identify gaps in the literature for further research. Methods: The scoping review utilised a refined framework of Arskey and O'Mally (2005) by Levac et al. (Levac, Colquhoun, & O'Brien, 2010). Different databases were systematically searched, and The PRISMA Flow Chart was used to select the articles included in the review. Results: From the initial 560 identified papers, 31 met the review’s inclusion criteria. The results indicated that most recovery-oriented programmes were developed in well-developed Western countries. It was evident from the included studies that the recovery-oriented mental healthcare programmes were effective for and appreciated by people diagnosed with mental illness. None of the identified and included studies discussed any developed recovery-oriented mental healthcare programme in Africa. Implications for Nursing: Nurses need to understand and implement the latest treatment modalities in mental health practice, and recovery-oriented care is one such practice. Conclusion: The review established that most recovery mental healthcare programmes are from Western high-resourced countries and have proven to be effective and appreciated by people diagnosed with mental illness. At the time of the review, no study indicated that a recovery-oriented mental healthcare programme was developed in the Sub-Saharan African context. Therefore, this calls for Africa to develop and implement a recovery-oriented programme to meet the mental health needs of people diagnosed with mental illness.