Managing preconceived expectations: mental health service users experiences of going home from hospital: a grounded theory study

Introduction: Following a period of hospitalisation, the transition to home can result in increased vulnerability and a source of stress for mental health service users. Readmission rates have been suggested as one indicator of the success of the transition from hospital to community care. Despite knowledge of some of the factors that impact on service users following discharge, no coherent model or theoretical framework could be located in the literature which explains or aides an in-depth understanding of the transition from hospital to community for service users. Aim: The aim of this study was to develop a grounded theory that explored service users’ experiences of going home from hospital. Method: This qualitative study used grounded theory and a total of thirty five interviews were conducted with thirty one service users. Results: The core category was ‘Managing Preconceived Expectations’, which had seven subcategories, describes how the participants were negatively perceived by themselves and others following their admission and discharge from hospital. This theory presents the strategies that the participants used to manage this new identity. Implications for Practice: This theory demonstrates that while there has been a move to adopt recovery orientated services, key indicators of recovery were often absent for service users being admitted and subsequently discharged.