Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Feb;33(1):166-174.
doi: 10.1111/inm.13232. Epub 2023 Sep 24.

Connection and recovery in the COVID-19 age: An analysis of changes in goal-setting throughout the pandemic by consumers living with enduring mental illness

Christopher Patterson  1 , Michelle Roberts  1 , Taylor Yousiph  1 , Georgia Robson  2 , Kelly Lewer  1 , Elissa-Kate Jay  1 , Lorna Moxham  1
Affiliations

Connection and recovery in the COVID-19 age: An analysis of changes in goal-setting throughout the pandemic by consumers living with enduring mental illness

Christopher Patterson et al. Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Goal-setting is a tool that empowers consumer recovery. Though the pandemic has affected consumer goal-setting, the nature and extent of this impact have not been examined in a recovery setting. The aim of this study is to assess whether the recovery goals of individuals with serious mental illness changed in association with the COVID-19 pandemic. In this mixed-methods design, data were collected from a purposeful sample of consumers (nTOTAL = 355) aged 19-67 years (MAGE = 44.56, SD = 13.05) attending Recovery Camp, a 5-day therapeutic-recreation programme for individuals living with severe mental illness (e.g., PTSD, schizophrenia). Consumer-set goals were examined across 5 programmes prior to March 2020 (nPRE = 126) and 11 following (nPOST = 229). Goals were set on day one, with attainment self-scored on day five. Chi-squared goodness-of-fit tests compared goal proportions per domain; tests of independence assessed changes in goals pre- and post-pandemic. Six goal domains were identified: Approach-Based Recovery, Avoidance-based Recovery, Novel Physical Activities, Relationships, Health, and Recreation/Relaxation. Irrespective of the pandemic, goal attainment was consistently high across all programmes (86.56%). Approach-based Recovery goals were predominant pre-pandemic, but were significantly reduced post-pandemic (p = 0.040). Goals related to Relationships and Novel Physical Activities took precedence throughout the pandemic. Post-COVID-19, consumer recovery goals reveal increased desire for connection, novelty-seeking, and positive behavioural change.

Keywords: COVID-19; goal setting; mental health; recovery; therapeutic recreation.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Alomari, A., Hunt, L., Lord, H., Halcomb, L., Middleton, R., Fernandez, R. et al. (2021) Understanding the support needs of Australian nursing students during COVID-19: a cross sectional study. Contemporary Nurse, 57(3-4), 258-268. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2021.1997147
    1. Astell-Birt, T., Feng, X., Hipp, A., Gatersleben, G., Adlakha, D., Marselle, M. et al. (2023) Need and demand for nature prescriptions to protect cardiovascular and mental health: a nationally-representative study with insights for future randomised trials. Heart, Lung and Circulation, 32, 114-123.
    1. Bailey, R.R. (2019) Goal-setting and action planning for health behaviour change. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 13(6), 615-618. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827617729634
    1. Boeykens, D., Boeckxstaens, P., De Sutter, A., Lahousse, L., Pype, P., De Vriendt, P. et al. (2022) Goal-oriented care for patients with chronic conditions or multimorbidity in primary care: a scoping review and concept analysis. PLoS One, 17(2), e0262843. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262843
    1. Bratman, G.N., Hamilton, P.J. & Daily, G.C. (2012) The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health. The Year in Ecology and Conservation Biology, 1249(1), 118-136. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06400.x

LinkOut - more resources