"I'm not alone": Women's experiences of recovery oriented occupational therapy groups following depression.

BACKGROUND.: Occupational therapy groups have been carried out as interventions in mental health settings across a variety of populations. Limited research explores the lived experience of individuals with depression following participation in recovery oriented occupational therapy groups. PURPOSE.: To better understand how recovery oriented occupational therapy groups shape participants' personal experience of daily life, including recovery. METHOD.: Five individuals who had previously completed at least one recovery oriented occupational therapy group each participated in two in-depth semi-structured interviews. Analyses of the transcripts were completed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). FINDINGS.: Participants' experiences of the recovery oriented occupational therapy groups ranged from positive to negative, with variable impacts on their lived experiences. Two major themes emerged: (a) participants' perception of "normal" and (b) navigation of meaningful participation. IMPLICATIONS.: Increased understanding of what aspects of recovery oriented occupational therapy groups are meaningful to individuals with depression can help support their personal recovery process.