Tottori J. Clin. Res. 8(2), 156-160, 2017

Recovery process for mentally disabled individuals
A case report of outreach team supporting their community life
Satoko Tanaka1)*, Toshiyuki Ueda2), Yuka Okada3), Chiaki Fukuoka4), Teruhisa Yasuoka5),
Sumiko Shimizu5)1) Department of Clinical Psychology, NHO Tottori Medical Center2) Department of Psychiatry, NHO Tottori Medical Center
3) The 6th Ward, Department of Nursing, NHO Tottori Medical Center
4) Local Medical Collaboration Unit, NHO Tottori Medical Center
5) Local Medical Collaboration Unit, Department of Nursing, NHO Tottori Medical Center*Correspondence: 876 Mitsu, Tottori, 689-0203
Abstract
In this article, we present a case that our outreach team involved, and discuss the recovery process for mentallydisabled individuals and assistance needed in such process in the light of the four stages of recovery of “hope,”“empowerment,” “self-responsibility,” and “having a meaningful role in life,” proposed by Ragins (2005)1). We hopethat this article will serve as a reference to improve support for them in the future. The patient A in this case wasdischarged from hospital and faced loneliness and deprived social role. He started to desire for employment and marriage.
In order to advocate his “hope,” the team assisted his recovery process toward “self-responsibility” and “having ameaningful role in life” through “empowerment” and encouraging him to consider real-life problems. He lived in thecommunity with his wife supporting each other against the hardships borne in the daily life. This case highlighted theimportance in the recovery process of the mentally disabled individuals of supporting their personal choice even though
it may have a risk, and assisting them to overcome hurdles of real-life events. We argue that it is crucial in the recovery
process of the mentally disabled individuals living in the community to assist them with consideration on their real-life
problems as far as possible to make a decision/choice by themselves, and thereby fulfilling their “self-responsibility” and“role” founded on the their own decision. Tottori J. Clin. Res. 8(2), 156-160, 2017
Key Words: mentally disabled, outreach team, recovery, community living assistance.	 

I. Introduction
The concept of “recovery”2) from severe mental
disorders such as schizophrenia has been widely
accepted in the clinical setting of mental health andwelfare. In the US, the President’s Commission ofmental health published a report in 2003, and proposedthat American mental health system should sit its
emphasis on recovery from mental illness3). In Japan, in
2004, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
presented a reform of policies for mental health andwelfare, from focusing on hospitalized medical treatment
to focusing on the community life. Since then, thosedischarged from a long period of hospitalization havebeen encouraged to live in the community while utilizing
various community life supports and services. This shift
from chronic hospitalization to the community life

served as a momentum for disseminating the concept ofrecovery for mentally disabled individuals in Japan.
Deegan4), Ph.D. in Psychology, a leading authorityof promoting the concept of recovery, had schizophrenia
herself and stated that “recovery” does not mean arecovery from the illness for patients, but a recovery
from the lack of autonomous decision making andsituations where one’s goal setting are not respected. In
other words, “recovery” may signify a recovery of asense of autonomous decision making for their own life
while having a normal life in the community after being
discharged from long hospitalization. Therefore, formentally disabled individuals, “recovery” is considered
as a process toward regaining freedom and responsibility
that all humans should have, while for supporters fortheir community life, the concept of recovery can