Abstract
This study aimed to understand the process of recovery from the perspective of people with schizophrenia and caregivers participating in a cultural and artistic project of a Non-Governmental Organization in São Paulo, Brazil. Five users with schizophrenia and their caregivers were interviewed by the first author, who had lived experience perspective and training in mental health research. A semi-structured interview guide was adopted (user and caregiver versions), designed to understand their knowledge, experiences, and perceptions of recovery from mental health problems. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was adopted to explore how each participant interpreted their own experiences. Respondents reported that friendship and social interactions emerged as an element of change in the cultural and artistic project working groups, which workshops helped in the development of personal skills, providing motivation for everyday life. Caregivers linked such changes more directly to the project activities than users with schizophrenia. This study was the first to investigate recovery-oriented activities promoted by Non-Governmental Organizations. Our findings suggest that such activities might be a valuable tool to promote recovery in contexts where this process is not yet officially incorporated in mental health policy.