“The Italian Study on Recovery 2” Phase 1: Psychometric Properties of the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS), Italian Validation of the Recovery Assessment Scale

Background: The achievement of recovery is related to the notion of developing personal potential and restoring a legitimate social role, even against the backdrop of mental illness limitations. It is still difficult to fully understand this highly subjective and dynamic process. Therefore, in order to test the recovery process, specific tools, still only marginally used in our country, are needed. Aims: The Italian Study on Recovery is the first study aimed at confirming the validity of the Italian version of the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS), an instrument developed with the goal of detecting recovery among patients. Method: This multicentric research involved several Mental Health Services from various parts of Italy. The first phase of the study consisted in the administration of the Italian translation of RAS, previously used in a pilot study conducted in 2009. RAS was administered to 219 patients diagnosed with psychosis, whose mental disorder lasted for at least 5 years. Results: Findings supported the good psychometric properties of the Italian version of RAS, demonstrating its capability of identifying patients matching the “in recovery” operational criteria. Conclusions: In consideration of the results highlighting the good psychometric properties of RAS, the present study may contribute to the diffusion of instruments to be included in Mental Health Service planning in the Italian context, in order to start a recovery-oriented transformation.