Recovery as the New Medical Model for Psychiatry

Treatment grounded in recovery principles is often viewed as not being based on the “medical model.” In this Open Forum the author asserts that recovery from mental illness is entirely compatible with concepts of recovery from medical illness and with new approaches to medical treatment. Three ways of conceptualizing recovery are defined: clinical recovery, illness management, and personal recovery. Basing treatment on recovery principles is supported by research that has shown significant remission rates over time among persons with schizophrenia. The author uses examples of public figures and of one family with physical disabilities to illustrate the progress society has made toward accepting and including people with physical illness and disability. Recovery-oriented mental health treatment parallels the move in other medical specialties toward person-centered care. A clinical approach to promote recovery is discussed. (Psychiatric Services 63:277–279, 2012; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201100248)