Miguel-Lorenzo, Xandra; Osborn, Tom G; (2025) Study Protocol for a trauma-informed co-produced rapid ethnographic study of 'self-care' practices among Recovery College students who 'self-manage' their mental health and wellbeing. F1000Research , 14 p. 303. 10.12688/f1000research.161749.2.

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Abstract

Introduction: Since 2009, Recovery Colleges have offered co-produced educational courses by lived experience and clinical experts in the UK, focusing on mental health recovery to promote cultural change in mental health services and foster a ‘recovery culture.’ This study examines the understanding of ‘self-care’ and ‘self-management’ among Recovery College students from a phenomenological perspective. It inquires whether students learn what self-care is in the Recovery College and if attending Recovery College courses change the way they understand and practice self-care. This study will investigate, over two weeks, the impact of Recovery College self-care teaching on students’ lives by examining their self-care practices, embodied experiences, and related investments, including time, resources, and space. It will also determine if self-care practice helps students prevent mental health crises and maintain or improve their mental health. Method: The Chief Investigator will recruit nine Camden & Islington Recovery College students, from the North London NHS Foundation Trust, and one clinical professional to participate in research co-production workshops and co-produce rapid ethnographic research methodology. Study Participants’ recruitment will seek diversity, including the Recovery College’s population demographics and under-represented communities. Data from study participants, the clinical co-facilitator, and the Chief Investigator will be collected. Analysis: Data will be analysed using thematic analysis. Employing NVivo 14.23.3 Lumivero, data from workshops, interviews, journals, notebooks, photos, and other research outputs will be accurately transcribed, coded, and clustered by themes. The case analyses of study participants will inform the writing of research outputs. Ethics and Dissemination: The Northern Ireland Research Ethics Committee (24-NI-0127 - HSC REC A) granted ethical approval for the study. The Chief Investigator is a London School of Economics PhD in Anthropology and a Camden & Islington Recovery College Senior Peer Recovery Tutor. The NIHR Mental Health for All program and the NIHR Springboard Award funds this ‘embedded research’ project. Ethical considerations include trauma-informed research methodology, the disclosure of harm or distress by study participants, power imbalances between the Chief Investigator and study participants, and the use of pseudonymity and data management. The study findings will be shared as published reports, posters, articles or applied research in the form of a Recovery College self-care course or handout for example, with Recovery College students, the Camden and Islington Recovery College, the North London Foundation Trust, UCL, the NIHR, and ImROC.

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