Recovery, a prominent concern in mental health care worldwide, has been variously defined, requiring further clarification of the term as processual. Few studies have comprehensively addressed the nature of recovery processes. This study aims to explore the nature and characteristics of experiences of recovery as processual. The method used is a form of qualitative meta-synthesis that integrates the findings from 28 qualitative studies published during the past 15 years by one research group. Three meta-themes were developed: (a) recovery processes as step-wise, cyclical, and continuous, (b) recovery as everyday experiences, and (c) recovery as relational. These themes describe how recovery is intertwined with the way life in general unfolds in terms of human relationships, learning, coping, and ordinary everyday living. This meta-synthesis consolidates an understanding of recovery as fundamental processes of living in terms of being, doing, and accessing. These processes are contextualized in relation to mental health and/or substance abuse problems and highlight the need for support to facilitate the person's access to necessary personal, social, and material resources to live an ordinary life in recovery.
Keywords: mental health and substance abuse; meta-synthesis; ordinary life; processual; recovery.