The relationship between personal recovery, clinical symptoms, and psychosocial functioning over time among service users with psychosis.

Abstract

Objective: Longitudinal investigation of associations between personal and clinical recovery is important to understand how the relationship unfolds over time. This prospective study investigated associations between personal recovery and clinical symptoms, and personal recovery and psychosocial functioning, at baseline and 18-month follow-up, among service users with psychosis.

Method: Data were collected from 318 service users with psychosis and their clinicians from 32 clinical sites across Norway at baseline and after 18 months. Personal recovery was measured using the Questionnaire About the Process of Recovery. Linear mixed models with random intercepts for units were estimated to test the association between personal recovery and clinical symptoms, and personal recovery and psychosocial functioning.

Results: Greater severity of symptoms and lower level of functioning were associated with lower personal recovery assessed at both baseline and follow-up. Greater severity of symptoms and lower level of functioning measured at baseline predicted lower personal recovery at follow-up. In addition, personal recovery decreased over time for those with a greater severity of symptoms but increased over time for those with a high level of functioning.

Conclusions and implications for practice: Overall, this study confirms the relationship between clinical recovery and personal recovery. Both clinical symptoms and level of functioning were associated with personal recovery, indicating that both aspects are important for personal recovery. These findings suggest that it might be beneficial to support both clinical and personal recovery in the treatment of people with psychosis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).