Presentation Information
[SY-70-01]Seikatsu-Rinsho: A Japanese Approach to Co-Producing Recovery through Everyday Life
*Kentaro Morita (Department of Rehabilitation University of Tokyo Hospital(Japan))
Keywords:
Seikatsu-Rinsho,Personal Values,Co-Production,Cultural Psychiatry
"Seikatsu-Rinsho," a support approach for individuals with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, was developed in Japan between the 1950s and 1960s. Emerging at a time when psychiatric care was predominantly inpatient-focused, Seikatsu-Rinsho shifted the emphasis to individuals' everyday lives and community environments. The basic philosophy of this approach is to integrate co-productive, person-centered principles with individualized support. It aimed not only to improve symptoms and social functioning but also to strengthen individuals' sense of personal agency in shaping their own daily lives. In Seikatsu-Rinsho, "mental liveliness" was cultivated through deep engagement with each person's lived experiences and personal context.Central to Seikatsu-Rinsho is assessment within the context of everyday living, which examines an individual's daily patterns, social roles, interpersonal relationships, and coping abilities. Practitioners also explore personal values and family histories to uncover the individuals' true needs. Characteristic features include unique conceptual tools such as classifying "life traits"—behavioral patterns leading to relapse—into "Active" and "Passive" types, and an emphasis on five principles during directive interventions: timely, concrete, repetitive, assertive, and minimally necessary guidance. These served as common language among multidisciplinary professionals, especially in group support settings. Furthermore, they played a crucial role as professionals and individuals collaborate to consider the individual's own path in life. Though Seikatsu-Rinsho still remains a valuable approach, there is room for improvement. First, it treats people's daily lives as relatively fixed rather than recognizing that individuals constantly change through interactions with the world around them. This makes the approach less adaptable to different cultures and eras. Second, labeling people as specific "types" can oversimplify their complex, evolving nature. The role of the practitioner is not to end up with just labels but to integrate professional knowledge with the individual's lived experience to collaboratively explore their life path.This presentation will discuss the application of Seikatsu-Rinsho—particularly within psychiatric day-care settings—illustrate client case studies demonstrating gains in agency and social integration, and consider how these outcomes can inform next-generation, recovery-oriented services.