Recovery from psychosis : physical health, antipsychotic medication and the daily dilemmas for mental health nurses

Abstract

This paper considers some of the dilemmas experienced by Mental Health Nurses everyday when faced with the seemingly conflicting relationships that exist between recovery, antipsychotics and the physical health of people experiencing psychosis. We examine the role of antipsychotics in the process of recovery from psychosis and argue that Mental Health Nursing’s laudable shift away from the medical model towards the concept of self-defined personal recovery should not result in overlooking the importance of physical health and medication management. Mental Health Nurses have a responsibility to help services users make an informed choice about treatment; this exchange of information should be based on the best available evidence rather than philosophical values or personal opinion