Presentation Information
[P-16-06]Exploring the "Fidelity" of Recovery Colleges in Japan: Gaps Between Core Values and Practice
*Yui Komine1, Taisuke Katsuragawa2 (1.Graduate School of Human Sciences, Waseda University(Japan), 2.Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University(Japan))
Keywords:
Recovery Colleges,Co-production,Mental health recovery
Background
Recovery Colleges (RC) are places where people with mental health challenges, professionals, and citizens learn and grow together. Participation has been shown to enhance mental health and promote recovery (Allard et al., 2024). However, most studies are based in WEIRD countries (Hayes et al., 2024), with limited focus on how core principles are upheld elsewhere. This study explores which values are prioritized in Japanese RC and how consistently they are implemented (fidelity).
Methods
Survey period: 16 May – 8 June 2025
Method: Online or mail-based questionnaire
Target: Japanese organizations titled "Recovery College" or "Recovery School".
Content: 8 principal items (Perkins et al., 2012), original operational questions (from Hayes et al., 2023), and the RECOLLECT-Fidelity-Measure-Japanese (Toney et al., 2019; Sakamoto et al., 2022)
Analysis: Mean and SD calculated. For multiple responses per RC, average scores and item-wise score distributions (0/1/2) were compiled.
Ethics: Approved by Waseda University Ethics Committee (No. 2025-014)
Results
Sixteen responses were obtained. In terms of RC philosophy, co-production (M=4.91), open to anyone (M=4.82), and differences from professional support (M=4.79) received high ratings. On the other hand, presence of personal tutors (M=2.37) and referral support to other institutions (M=3.42) received low ratings. The fidelity scale averaged 6.45 points (SD=3.14), and like philosophy ratings, community focus and tailored to the student were harder to implement. On the other hand, social connectedness and equality received relatively high ratings. Additionally, while co-production was the most important philosophy, only five cases received a score of 2 in the fidelity evaluation.
Discussion
The results suggest that some principles, though widely supported, are not consistently practiced. This may reflect resource constraints or ambiguity in applying concepts like co-production. Future work should model influencing factors within the Japanese context and expand comparative research across cultures.
Recovery Colleges (RC) are places where people with mental health challenges, professionals, and citizens learn and grow together. Participation has been shown to enhance mental health and promote recovery (Allard et al., 2024). However, most studies are based in WEIRD countries (Hayes et al., 2024), with limited focus on how core principles are upheld elsewhere. This study explores which values are prioritized in Japanese RC and how consistently they are implemented (fidelity).
Methods
Survey period: 16 May – 8 June 2025
Method: Online or mail-based questionnaire
Target: Japanese organizations titled "Recovery College" or "Recovery School".
Content: 8 principal items (Perkins et al., 2012), original operational questions (from Hayes et al., 2023), and the RECOLLECT-Fidelity-Measure-Japanese (Toney et al., 2019; Sakamoto et al., 2022)
Analysis: Mean and SD calculated. For multiple responses per RC, average scores and item-wise score distributions (0/1/2) were compiled.
Ethics: Approved by Waseda University Ethics Committee (No. 2025-014)
Results
Sixteen responses were obtained. In terms of RC philosophy, co-production (M=4.91), open to anyone (M=4.82), and differences from professional support (M=4.79) received high ratings. On the other hand, presence of personal tutors (M=2.37) and referral support to other institutions (M=3.42) received low ratings. The fidelity scale averaged 6.45 points (SD=3.14), and like philosophy ratings, community focus and tailored to the student were harder to implement. On the other hand, social connectedness and equality received relatively high ratings. Additionally, while co-production was the most important philosophy, only five cases received a score of 2 in the fidelity evaluation.
Discussion
The results suggest that some principles, though widely supported, are not consistently practiced. This may reflect resource constraints or ambiguity in applying concepts like co-production. Future work should model influencing factors within the Japanese context and expand comparative research across cultures.