Clinical use of an autovideography intervention to support recovery in individuals with severe mental illness

The current authors introduced an innovative autovideography intervention asking mental health consumers to use video cameras for 1 month to tell about their recovery. The research approach was based on a participatory research model with workers and consumers of a recovery education center fully involved with the study design and implementation. Twelve individuals who had graduated from a recovery program participated. The participant-produced videos were qualitatively analyzed using thematic analysis. The use of autovideography was found to be feasible and can be used clinically to support the process of recovery by providing opportunities for reciprocity, self-reflection, and advocacy. Consumer-produced videos provide a voice to inform others with and without mental illness about the concerns of individuals with mental illness and the process of recovery.