LAUSR

INTRODUCTION Mental health services have embraced the philosophy and practice of recovery. Research has confirmed hope as a micro-process of recovery. The lived experience of hope has received scant attention. This is required to improve understanding and optimise its therapeutic potential. AIM To explore how individuals describe and make sense of their experience of hope in mental health recovery. METHOD A qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach was used. The sample was accessed via email networks. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and analysed using an IPA framework. RESULTS Three superordinate themes emerged: "Without it we would wither up and die" - Hope as intrinsic to life; "I will be ok" - Having a sense of possibility and "Making it happen" - Moving forward. Individuals referenced hope by its absence when attempts were made to end life, and as present but hidden in tortuous circumstances. DISCUSSION individuals were more familiar with the concept of hopelessness, had a ready-to-hand vocabulary of "having no hope" and used this by default to inform what hope meant. Implications for Practice It is important that all stakeholders appreciate the context specific interpretation of hope and cultivate dialogue and understanding to harness its therapeutic potential.