Do you have any suggested reading on user/survivor experiences or recovery? If so, why not email us at [email protected] and we will post it on the site to share with others.

A key document published by mental health policy at the Department of Health, written by Tony Day, is A Journey to Recovery. It provides an excellent overview about mental health services and the priorities for change.

Coming soon will also be a discussion paper on recovery, which is being written by Helen Glover, a service user, Chief Executive of CHANGE (Choice and Alternatives for Growth and Experience). An excerpt from this paper:

'People who experience mental illness/distress can and do recover. This may seem a bold statement but research from 1958 onwards has demonstrated significant recovery rates even amongst people diagnosed with severe mental illness, including schizophrenia…

'This discussion paper is the product of a wide ranging consultation process that aimed not to impose a view, but to respect the knowledge and experience of the diverse groups that have a stake in mental health services.'