Considering the Use of the Term ‘Rehab Potential’ within in-patient Mental Health Services: Its Usefulness and the Risks Associated with Getting it Wrong—A Theoretical Perspective

Abstract

Abstract‘Rehab potential’ is a term that is frequently used within in-patient mental health services as means of predicting one’s potential response to rehabilitation-focused interventions. However, there is no explicit and common understanding of the factors that contribute to concept of rehabilitation potential within the context of mental health rehabilitation, despite this being such a commonly used phrase. When accurate predictions are made about a person’s perceived rehabilitation potential, it has the power to enhance a person’s rehabilitation process. If these predictions are inaccurate, they can have negative consequences for the individuals involved. Consequences of inaccurately predicting an individual’s rehabilitation potential can include people being denied access to rehabilitation services or being confined to years of care and/or more restrictive services that may not promote independence or recovery from mental illness as effectively as rehabilitation-focused services. This can have significant implications for these individuals such as reduced feelings of well-being and quality of life. In other medical fields there is evidence that judgments of rehabilitation potential can also have negative implications for the members of staff expected to make these decisions on behalf of service users.