Treatment’s Role in Clinical and Perceived Recoveries from Mental Illness

Abstract

How mental health treatment relates to clinical and perceived recoveries is examined with the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, drawing from treatment-seeking and labeling theories. Clinical recovery and perceived recoveries were assessed among adult respondents who had a lifetime major depressive episode and reported ever having a mental health problem ( N = 5,628). The “probably well” (with no current care need nor treatment involvement), individuals with unmet treatment needs, voluntary patients, and involuntary patients were contrasted. Compared with the high recovery rates of the “probably well,” individuals with unmet care needs had low clinical and perceived recoveries, and voluntary patients had low clinical but high perceived recoveries, supporting treatment-seeking predictions. With current distress symptoms controlled, involuntary patients’ perceived recovery rates were identical to “probably well” and voluntary patients,’ counter to labeling predictions. Because recovery perceptions may encourage (or weaken) treatment continuation, they warrant further research.