Exploring the role of 'enabling places' in promoting recovery from mental illness: A qualitative test of a relational model

This paper presents findings drawn from a study of the role of "enabling places" in promoting recovery among a sample of 24 adults living with a mental illness in Melbourne, Australia. Featuring a mix of visual and qualitative methods, the study invited participants to identify local places and place-related activities, which they regarded as supportive of their own health and recovery. The aim was to determine how and under what circumstances local places support recovery, and the ways these places are identified and maintained. Consistent with the logic of "enabling places", the study yielded evidence indicating that the various places identified by participants promoted recovery by facilitating access to an array of social, material and/or affective resources. Participants indicated that they draw on these resources in support of activities and relationships vital to the everyday 'work' of recovery. The paper closes with a discussion of the ways such "enabling" resources may be mobilised in the delivery of novel 'place-based' mental health initiatives.