Personal recovery after mental illness from a cultural perspective: A scoping review

Background: Although personal recovery has become a well-known concept in most Western countries, it remains under-recognised in non-Western countries.Aims: This scoping review aimed to investigate how culture impacts the conceptualisation of personal recovery by evaluating how well the personal recovery framework CHIME (Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning and Empowerment) fits amongst individuals from non-Western ethnic origin.Method: A scoping review with systematic searches was conducted. Studies were included in the scoping review if they examined personal recovery among individuals from non-Western cultures. Articles were excluded if the target population had no experience with mental illness or had an ethnic Western origin. The review used the CHIME framework in a 'best-fit' framework synthesis, to understand how culture impacted the understanding and experience of recovery. A comprehensive search of five databases (PsycInfo, ProQuest, EMBASE, MEDLINE and CINAHL) resulted in the inclusion of 76 studies out of the 1,641 studies identified. The search was conducted in February 2023 and updated the same month in 2024.Results: The 76 studies demonstrated that the CHIME framework is applicable in non-Western cultures, with few adjustments to the subcategories. Generally, there was a greater emphasis on connectedness with others across all categories of CHIME, and religion was more frequently used as source to achieve the components of CHIME more often in non-Western cultures. Socio-structural factors influenced how personal recovery can be experienced, and important factors such as welfare benefits impacts recovery.Conclusion: Special attention should be given to the importance of relationships, especially family, in achieving recovery and religion should be recognised as a crucial element to experiencing connectedness, hope, identity, meaning and empowerment. To enhance the CHIME framework, integrating the sub-components shared responsibility and shared control would be beneficial. Socio-structural factors should be considered when using the CHIME framework.