Recovery in Italy: An Update

Abstract: Since the 1990s, a general reflection has gradually evolved in Italy on the effects of the transformation of psychiatry from being mainly institutional to more community-oriented. Increasingly substantial epidemiological studies and processes of outcome evaluations have focused not only on the clinical aspects, but also on the social and functional level (quality of life, care needs, users’ satisfaction for the treatments received). With a certain delay compared to the Anglo-Saxon countries, in recent years, several elements of the concept of recovery have also increasingly emerged in Italy: hope, expectations, self-esteem, self-efficacy, awareness, personal autonomy, and dignity. The present article describes the most relevant experiences conducted in Italy in the latest years developing a recovery-oriented approach in psychiatry, in different areas: methodology, peer support, education, services transformation, and research. In particular, the Italian Study on Recovery (SIR) is described, a research conducted in the “real world” of service-users of Italian mental health services and their family members. Its quantitative part consists of the validation of the Italian translation of the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS) and its efficacy in identifying persons in recovery (after University of California–Los Angeles [UCLA] criteria). The qualitative research spotlights the experiences and values of services users in recovery and their families. Conclusions focus on the importance of reshaping psychiatric services based on the principles of recovery and on how this transformation should be guided.