Date of Submission

2017

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Department Chair

Robert A DiTomasso, PhD, ABPP

First Advisor

Bruce S. Zahn, Ed.D., ABPP, Chairperson

Second Advisor

Celine Thompson, PhD

Third Advisor

Petra Kottsieper, Ph.D.

Abstract

Recovery principles have become increasingly present in research literature and in reforms of healthcare systems in the last four decades. These principles grew out of client advocacy and research that emphasized a need for increased client autonomy, respect, holistic and individualized care, empowerment, personal responsibility, community integration, and peer support. Recovery principles are particularly important for mental health practitioners who work with individuals with serious mental illnesses. The present study used the Recovery Knowledge Inventory (RKI) to assess knowledge and attitudes of recovery principles and determine whether that is associated with the degree of recovery-oriented clinical practices that mental health professionals make when faced with hypothetical case vignettes presented with varying degrees of client engagement. Each participant’s level of recovery-oriented decision-making was measured using the Recovery Clinical Decision Making Instrument (RCDMI), developed by the principle researcher. Results showed the degree of knowledge about recovery accounted for a significant amount of variance in the degree of recovery-oriented clinical decision-making. No significant main effects were found between client engagement and the recovery-oriented clinical decisions of participants. No significant interaction effects were found between recovery knowledge and client engagement on recovery-oriented clinical decision-making. Results indicated that training in recovery principles is likely to carry over to recovery-oriented clinical practices regardless of client engagement.

Included in

Psychology Commons

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