Recovery in women with severe mental illness in long-stay facilities: Protocol for an ethnographic & art-based inquiry

BackgroundRecovery and rehabilitation in severe mental illness (SMI) often involve periods of institutionalization, which can sometimes extend longer than anticipated. Understanding the lived experiences and recovery narratives from context-specific, insider perspectives in such long-term settings is crucial for shaping care and support that aligns with individual aspirations. This article outlines the protocol of a research study designed to conduct an ethnographic and art-based inquiry into recovery in women with SMI residing in long-stay facilities in India. MethodThe study will have a multi-site ethnographic and art-based inquiry design to be conducted in 3 long-stay facilities (comprising of psychiatric hospitals, NGO homes, and government-run state homes) across different geographical locations. The researcher will spend between 20 to 25 days for participant observation in each setting, writing field notes, and conducting ethnographic interactions with staff and service-users. An organization information sheet will be used to record the various facilities available in the setting. A sub-sample of 24 service-users will be approached for an in-depth interview about their lived experience of recovery, and assessments using the Clinical Global Impressions scale (CGI), pictorial recovery tool Swasthya Labh Saadhan (SLS), and Cantrils ladder. Art-based inquiries using a list of prompts will be carried out over 10 sessions in an open group of interested service-users. The data will be analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. DiscussionFindings from the proposed study will build an understanding of the multiple narratives of recovery that are rooted in the unique personal and cultural contexts of service-users. Additionally, understanding various kinds of long-stay facilities, housing environments, and organizational practices will help us map care practices and infrastructures that promote recovery-oriented practices.