{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T10:28:06Z","timestamp":1788258486141,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Royal College of Psychiatrists","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]],"date-time":"2025-03-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1741651200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":10,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["cambridge.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BJPsych Open"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"S2056472424008524_as1\">\n\t    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n\t    <jats:p>Family and friends (family carers) provide substantial support to those with mental ill health, often affecting their own well-being. Subsequently, family carers have their own recovery journeys. Research highlights numerous benefits of attending Recovery Colleges, but whether these apply for family carers remains unexplored.<\/jats:p>\n\t  <\/jats:sec>\n\t  <jats:sec id=\"S2056472424008524_as2\">\n\t    <jats:title>Aims<\/jats:title>\n\t    <jats:p>We aimed to explore family carers\u2019 experiences of attending Recovery Colleges across England, to understand current provision and how this might better include and support family carers.<\/jats:p>\n\t  <\/jats:sec>\n\t  <jats:sec id=\"S2056472424008524_as3\">\n\t    <jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n\t    <jats:p>Together with lived experience researchers, this qualitative focus group study used collaborative thematic analysis of online focus groups and interviews with family carers and Recovery College staff from across England.<\/jats:p>\n\t  <\/jats:sec>\n\t  <jats:sec id=\"S2056472424008524_as4\">\n\t    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n\t    <jats:p>We generated six superordinate themes: \u2018The \u201ccarer\u201d identity is not clearcut\u2019, \u2018Recovery ethos applies to family carers too\u2019, \u2018Power of lived experience\u2019, \u2018Educational focus is appealing\u2019, \u2018Family carers deserve recognition and provision\u2019 and \u2018Reaching out and fitting around family carers\u2019. Attending Recovery Colleges developed family carers understandings and gave them skills to navigate services and support themselves and others, which furthered their own recovery journeys. Shared learning spaces were helpful, but participants felt these were not always oriented to include family carers. Our findings revealed ways Recovery Colleges could increase their relevance and accessibility to family carers.<\/jats:p>\n\t  <\/jats:sec>\n\t  <jats:sec id=\"S2056472424008524_as5\">\n\t    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n\t    <jats:p>The unique characteristics of Recovery Colleges suited the recovery needs of family carers. However, more resources are needed to develop this potential and reach more family carers. Family carer co-researchers enriched our findings, and discussions with the Recovery College community furthered our recommendations for practice.<\/jats:p>\n\t  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1192\/bjo.2024.852","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]],"date-time":"2025-03-11T10:50:59Z","timestamp":1741690259000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/policypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Understanding the experiences of family, friends and carers attending Recovery Colleges: focus group study"],"prefix":"10.1192","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4504-4958","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bryher","family":"Bowness","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3882-514X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sarah","family":"Bicknell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lana","family":"Samuels","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yasma","family":"Osman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-5969-3769","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vanessa","family":"Kellermann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6998-5659","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claire","family":"Henderson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7852-2018","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vanessa","family":"Lawrence","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"170","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1049732312443736"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/prj0000532"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00909882.2015.1019547"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref23","first-page":"409","volume-title":"Critical Realism","author":"Bhaskar"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/heapro\/daac016"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref26","first-page":"e89","article-title":"Hearing the voices of service user researchers in collaborative qualitative data analysis: the case for multiple coding","volume":"16","author":"Sweeney","year":"2013","journal-title":"Health Exp"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref32","volume-title":"Valuing Carers 2015","author":"Buckner","year":"2015"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref10","volume-title":"Implementing Recovery Through Organisational Change Briefing Report. 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NHS England, 2014 (https:\/\/www.england.nhs.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/commitment-to-carers-may14.pdf)."},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0261018306068489"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/09638237.2017.1301649"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10597-015-9848-6"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.j3453"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/0312407X.2013.875580"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291719000965"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref18","unstructured":"18 Brophy, L , Doroud, N , Hall, T , Minshall, C , Jordan, H , King, A , et al. ACT Recovery College Evaluation. Final Report, 2021. La Trobe University, 2021 (https:\/\/opal.latrobe.edu.au\/articles\/report\/ACT_Recovery_College_Evaluation_Final_Report\/17148863?file=33630575)."},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0144686X10001066"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00127-023-02452-w"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2014-006108"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/inm.13185"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(23)00229-8"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.ps.201800283"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17522439.2020.1861073"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/eip.12400"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10376178.2015.1012040"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jpm.12399"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4324\/9780203496626"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10597-014-9783-y"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref43","volume-title":"Recovery Colleges 10 Years On","author":"Perkins","year":"2018"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/JPMH-06-2013-0042"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.110.083733"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/qup0000196"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/11865"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S204579601800063X"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/MHRJ-11-2012-0031"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref3","unstructured":"3 Royal College of Psychiatry. Caring for Someone with a Mental Illness. Royal College of Psychiatry, 2023 (https:\/\/www.rcpsych.ac.uk\/mental-health\/treatments-and-wellbeing\/caring-for-someone-with-a-mental-illness)."},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/MHSI-02-2019-0008"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref37","unstructured":"37 Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. Recovery and Wellbeing College Annual Report: April 2014 \u2013 July 2015. Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, 2015 (https:\/\/www.cnwl.nhs.uk\/application\/files\/5415\/8100\/6160\/CNWL-Recovery-College-Annual-Report.pdf)."},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1474746413000262"},{"key":"S2056472424008524_ref30","unstructured":"30 Deacon, L , Nicholson, P , Allen, K. A Neoliberalist Solution for a Neoliberalist Problem: The Neoliberalist normalisation of psychosocial support for parent-carers. CASS Woking Papers, 2020."}],"container-title":["BJPsych Open"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S2056472424008524","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,11]],"date-time":"2025-03-11T10:51:05Z","timestamp":1741690265000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S2056472424008524\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,3]]},"references-count":44,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3]]}},"alternative-id":["S2056472424008524"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1192\/bjo.2024.852","relation":{},"ISSN":["2056-4724"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2056-4724","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,3]]},"assertion":[{"value":"\u00a9 The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal College of Psychiatrists","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.","name":"license","label":"License","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This content has been made available to all.","name":"free","label":"Free to read"}],"article-number":"e43"}}