An interpretive phenomenological study of recovering from mental illness: Teenage girls' portrayals of resilience.

In this interpretive phenomenological study, understandings of resilience from the perspective of teenage girls recovering from mental illness were explored. The primary research question was as follows: How is resilience portrayed through teen girls' experiences of health and mental illness? Benner's interpretive phenomenology informed by Gadamerian concepts of conversation, prejudices, and fusion of horizons guided the research design. The interpretive description process involved close reading of how the world experienced by participants was understood while listening for relational, gendered and cultural nuances. Resilience for teenage girls recovering from mental illness was portrayed as very challenging yet a rewarding life path with complex lines of movement towards strength and wellness. The life path involved critical junctures and personal growth while withstanding multiple traumas and acting to overcome adversities. Findings from this study underscore for nurses the relevance of actively advocating for trauma-informed and gender-sensitive approaches to promote teenage girls' (mental) health and well-being and to enhance resilience and recovery from mental illness in the face of what may seem insurmountable adversities.