Abstract
Recovery is a concept which mental health services are increasingly using as a guide for policy and a steer for shaping intervention. With outcome measures as a necessity in most services, for the purpose of the individual, the service and commissioners, there appears to be a need for measures which are in line with the concept of recovery. Attempts have been made; however, there are certain challenges and complexities around measuring the phenomenon, which has led to a limited range of tools available. The current review is an exploration into whether recovery can be measured, with a critical examination of several tools which have been developed. Strong reference is made to the limitations and difficulties that may arise in measuring the concept and their impact on clinical practice and research.