Hope is an important part of recovery from severe mental illness. Our aim was to assess hope and its correlation with symptoms in people living with severe mental illness.
Methods:
We used validated questionnaires to assess hope, social isolation, quality of life and symptoms among 60 people living with severe mental illness.
Results:
Hope scores were significantly lower than those reported for many community groups. There was a negative association between psychiatric symptoms and levels of hope.
Conclusions:
Some people living with enduring severe mental illness in the Australian community feel hopeless. Being hopeful and initiating recovery are evidently difficult when symptoms remain severe. Appropriate acknowledgement and support for patients and their families is required.
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