Abstract
Introduction: Recovery approaches to mental health difficulties have gained prominence within mental health services but are challenged by a parallel increase in the prominence of issues of risk. Clinical psychologists have a strong presence in mental health services, with a growing emphasis on their role in service leadership, management and organisation and therefore could be influential in relation to services becoming recovery-oriented. The present research investigated the possibilities and limitations of adopting recovery approaches from the perspective of clinical psychologists. Method: A grounded theory approach was used to interview and analyse data from eleven clinical psychologists working within adult mental health services. Results: The exploratory approach led to the construction of four descriptive categories: Influences; Stakeholders; Working with risk; and The meaning of recovery. Three theoretical categories were then developed to try to explain the data. These emphasised the role of Changing cultures in mental health services, Dominant and marginalised concerns, and Professional conflicts and dilemmas in contributing to possibilities or limitations of adopting recovery approaches. Conclusion: It appeared that the clinical psychologists’ ability to work in recovery-oriented ways is limited because of the way in which services perceived and responded to risk. However, the implications for practice included ideas about what might help increase the possibilities for adopting recovery approaches.