Abstract
Previous evaluations of mental health rehabilitation services have mostly examined clinician-rated or objective outcomes. There is also a need to consider subjective, patient-rated outcomes such as quality of life and recovery. Service users in a rehabilitation unit were invited to complete quality of life and recovery measures at admission and discharge. Of 79 eligible service users, 48 (60.8%) completed measures at both admission and discharge. Significant improvements were noted in overall quality of life and recovery, as well as most individual domains of quality of life. Satisfaction with family relationships showed only modest improvement. Satisfaction with sex life showed no significant change. Users of the rehabilitation service experienced improvements in quality of life and recovery. The evaluation’s main limitations were the lack of a control group, the lack of follow-up, and the possibility of differential drop-out. Clinical and research implications are discussed.