Results from an unprecedented global survey spanning 28 countries have shed light on the presence, operations, and significant support provided by recovery colleges for individuals facing mental health challenges worldwide. The findings, unveiled on September 19, 2023, in The Lancet Psychiatry, highlight the presence of 221 recovery colleges across five continents, emphasizing their popularity and widespread utilization. This comprehensive survey also offers insights into organizational and student characteristics, fidelity to the recovery college model, and budget allocation.
The survey, conducted as part of the RECOLLECT study, received funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research and was a collaborative effort between the University of Nottingham, University of Manchester, and King’s College London.
Originally developed in England to assist individuals experiencing mental health symptoms or mental illness on their path to recovery, recovery colleges have since been established in numerous countries. However, there has been limited international research on these colleges, with no prior studies investigating staffing, fidelity to the model, or cost-effectiveness.
Recovery colleges are uniquely designed to facilitate the recovery process for individuals grappling with mental health challenges. They embody two core principles: first, they employ an adult education approach focused on personal growth, rather than clinical treatment; second, they embrace “co-production,” involving individuals with lived experience of mental health issues in partnership with staff and professional experts to design and deliver courses.
The survey revealed that recovery colleges across diverse regions of the world share common core values. However, certain elements of recovery colleges were rated differently in various countries. For instance, colleges in Asia displayed a distinct emphasis on co-production, potentially influenced by cultural nuances.
Financial investment in recovery colleges exhibited significant variability, but the institutions participating in the survey collectively allocated £25 million to provide 20,000 courses for approximately 55,000 students.
Professor Claire Henderson, a leading expert in Public Mental Health at King’s College London, remarked, “The rapid expansion of recovery colleges across five continents underscores the necessity of understanding how they can best support recovery in diverse contexts.”
Henderson continued, “There appears to be an international consensus on key operational principles, particularly equality and a commitment to recovery, and most recovery colleges maintain moderate to high fidelity to the original model (England), regardless of their country’s income band. Further research is needed to assess cultural differences in co-production and approaches to individualized support.”
