“It Was a Very Pleasant Surprise”: Exploring Public Safety Service Users' Experiences With Inpatient Mental Health Treatment and Recovery

OBJECTIVES: Mental health service users are responsible and autonomous individuals who can comprehend their own illness and recovery and therefore engage healthcare professionals in their care. Studies have demonstrated how service users feel more dignified, safe, and respected during mental health treatment when they are listened to by their caregivers and included in treatment decision-making. The physical space and design of mental health facilities, as well as the approach to care and treatment, have been found to have positive implications for service users' treatment and recovery, both in contemporary and historical settings. Thus, understanding service user perspectives is necessary because these experiences may shed light on best treatment practices. METHODS: The current study engages interview data produced by public safety professionals-who are often exposed throughout the course of their service and duties to potentially psychologically traumatic events-who were receiving inpatient care for trauma and, in some circumstances, substance misuse at Edgewood Health Network's Guardians Gateway facility. Framed through the sociology of mental health literature, we qualitatively explore how these service users experienced the physical and psychological aspects of the treatment space. RESULTS: We found their experiences of recovery at this facility led to new conceptions of mental health treatment, including overcoming stigma, personal growth, and encouragement to try new activities and programs tailored to their individualized mental health needs. CONCLUSION: We discuss how their lived experiences provide novel insights into best care practices for public safety personnel in Canada.