Recovery Colleges or Something Different? The Development and Evaluation of a Reflection Tool for Recovery Colleges in the Netherlands

TL;DR

This paper evaluates a reflection tool for Recovery Colleges in the Netherlands, highlighting differences from the UK model and exploring fidelity in co-created mental health contexts.

Contribution

The study adapts and evaluates a fidelity measure for Recovery Colleges in the Dutch context, revealing conceptual differences and shared international values.

Findings

The reflection tool highlighted shared values among Recovery Colleges internationally.

The Dutch model of Recovery Colleges differs conceptually from the UK model, particularly in being peer-run.

The study questions the boundaries of fidelity in co-created mental health contexts.

Abstract

Recovery Colleges (RCs) are increasingly implemented worldwide, with a fidelity measure recently developed in the United Kingdom (UK). However, RCs may vary based on their operating contexts. In the Netherlands, a key deviation is that RCs are often peer-run rather than co-produced with mental healthcare providers, as outlined in the fidelity measure. This study assessed the measure’s suitability in the Dutch context, leading to the development of a reflection tool (Phase 1) which was subsequently evaluated (Phase 2). The development phase involved focus groups with peer facilitators and coordinators from 16 RCs (N = 29) to capture critical elements of Dutch RCs. The tool was piloted (N = 5) and evaluated more broadly (N = 24). The tool provided valuable insights, highlighting shared values among RCs internationally and conceptual differences between Dutch and UK models. The findings raised questions about the boundaries of fidelity in co-created contexts such as RCs.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10597-025-01517-1.

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