Participatory action research and photovoice in a psychiatric nursing/clubhouse collaboration exploring recovery narrative

ACCESSIBLE SUMMARY: ? Personal stories about recovery in mental health are important sources of knowledge. ? Research methods are needed for exploring personal stories of recovery which honour and empower the authors of recovery stories. ? The Clubhouse of Winnipeg and an assistant professor in psychiatric nursing piloted a research project using photography in order to explore, document and share Clubhouse Member stories of recovery. ABSTRACT: The Clubhouse of Winnipeg (a community psychosocial rehabilitation centre) collaborated with a psychiatric nursing assistant professor on a participatory action research (PAR) project exploring the concept of recovery using a using a research method called photovoice. The collaborative project -Our Photos Our Voices- demonstrates how PAR and photovoice are well suited for collaborative research in mental health which honours principles underlying consumer empowerment and recovery. The foundation of empowerment is the power to act on one's behalf; PAR and photovoice support the full participation of concerned individuals in all aspects of research with the ultimate goal of action to solve problems or to meet goals identified by those individuals. Empowerment is also the ability to lay claim to one's own truth. At the core of the recovery model is the principle that recovery is defined by the individual and based on individual determinations of meaningful goals and a meaningful life. The Our Photos Our Voices project uses PAR and photovoice to effectively access, explore, document and share personal, local knowledge about recovery grounded in the personal experience of the Clubhouse researchers.