Recovery and research: presentation of the project InterComuniCaRe

Abstract

Introduction: Taking into account the importance of community life for people with mental illness, the investment in recovery becomes a priority, regarding the international health policies. Recovery research becomes a necessity, and the development of transdisciplinary knowledge is essential to the scientific evidence that is consolidated in this area of intervention. Objectives: Evaluate the needs of people with mental illness after hospital discharge; develop an individual intervention program, establishing as a purpose the recovery; approach the caregiving through a close community service; develop a Recovery Intervention Guide for people with mental illness. Methods: The InterComuniCare project is being developed by University of Minho in collaboration with Casa de Saúde do Bom Jesus, in a period of execution of 18 months. An action research is being developed. The sample is composed by people with mental illness, with whom it is possible to develop an intervention program at their homes. Cognitive assessment instruments, social support, quality of life and, a needs assessment instrument developed by the research team, are being applied. The project was approved by the ethic commission of Casa de Saúde do Bom Jesus. Participants of the sample sign free informed consent. Results: At the moment, the sample is constituted by 29 individuals with an initial evaluation. Of these, 18 are being submitted to an individual intervention program, which contemplates 16 sessions, during 4 months, which is addressed to the needs demonstrated. It will be made an intermediate evaluation at 2 months of intervention and a final one at 4 months. Conclusions: It is expected that this project contributes to the development of scientific knowledge in mental health, specifically in the scope of recovery. It is also expected that it will contribute to identification of needs of the people with mental illness who live in community, and to the scientific support of health professionals that work in this area, through the development of an intervention guide that intends to be available in 2019. Conflict of interest disclosure: None. This is a result of the project (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-023855), supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).