What is community participation?
Recovery from psychosis isn’t only about what happens in treatment – it’s also about how you connect with people, places, and activities that matter to you. This is known as community participation, or what researchers define as the choices and actions people take to be active in valued roles in the communities of their choosing.
Naturally, each of us finds our own unique ways of engaging in community. This can include working, going to school, hanging out with friends, volunteering, attending cultural events, and participating in a spiritual community – it’s really about finding ways to be part of everyday life that feel meaningful and empowering to you.
The World Health Organization recognizes community participation as an essential part of health. It is considered both a human right and a medical necessity. Studies also show that being connected improves mental and physical health, eases feelings of loneliness, builds confidence, and creates space to discover who you are becoming.
Community participation is rooted in the idea of inclusion. That means:
- You’re valued for your uniqueness: not just accepted, but recognized for who you are.
- You have opportunities to participate just like everyone else: whether in school, work, or hobbies.
- The environment is welcoming and embracing: It’s a place where your presence isn’t just tolerated, but wanted and valued.
Discovering what matters to you
Community isn’t only about school or work. Young people describe a wide range of activities that help them feel connected and well, such as:
- Social relationships: hanging out with friends, dating, or online communities like gaming, taking classes, learning skills, or a job
- Faith and spirituality: being part of a spiritual or religious community
- Civic life: volunteering, activism, or voting
- Leisure and hobbies: such as music, sports, hiking, art, or creative activities, etc.
These everyday activities offer connections that can play a big role in recovery. One young adult explained how online gaming led to lasting friendships:
“Two of my groomsmen I met while playing Call of Duty… Gaming is a coping mechanism, when I lost my aunt, gaming helped me grieve.”
A 2025 research study focused on key factors in psychosis recovery based on first-person accounts highlights how powerful belonging can be. One participant who previously struggled to feel she belonged in her community noted how this changed for her over time:
“I was so happy about that question: do you feel like part of society? Yes!… It’s lovely to be an ordinary person in society!”
Community participation isn’t just about activities—it’s about feeling accepted and included as you are. That sense of belonging and freedom to be yourself is central to long-term recovery.
Finding your community
Finding the right community can take time, and it often means trying out different spaces until you find one that feels like a good fit. Research shows that places feel “welcoming” when they share a few common qualities:
- Physical environment: open, bright, natural light, greenery, comfortable seating
- Social environment: friendliness, acceptance, chances to talk without pressure
- Activities: can be wide-ranging, including opportunities for learning, creating, exercising, or just spending time around others
- Atmosphere: clear, fair expectations without rigid rules or stigma
Exploring and experimenting are part of life, and it’s okay if some groups don’t click. We all go through times in our lives when certain groups or activities feel right, until they don’t. What matters is continuing to look for community spaces that welcome you as a whole person, and if one (or more) don’t fit, keep trying.
How Specialty Care can help
Specialty Care programs for early psychosis aren’t only about therapy or medication. They also help you connect or reconnect with your community in ways that match your personal interests. For example, Supported Employment & Education team members focused on helping you worked toward goals for school or work, whereas our Peer Specialists help to put community participation into practice by problem-solving with you and getting out into the community together.
Specialty teams often have partnerships with community-based organizations and work with you to explore these, such as:
- Cultural centers: art, music, identity-based groups
- Neighborhood or civic organizations: volunteering, community projects
- Student centers: on high school or college campuses
- Faith-based groups: churches, mosques, synagogues, or spiritual circles
- Interest-based groups: gaming, hiking, knitting, dog-walking, or sports
Your care team can support you in creating connections that fit you and your interests. After all, recovery isn’t only about reducing symptoms, it’s also about building a full and meaningful life.If you’re not sure where to start, your Specialty Care Team at michiganminds.org can help. They’ll work with you to explore options, connect you with local groups, and support you in building the kinds of relationships and activities that bring meaning and joy to your life.
References
Åsbø, G., Haavind, H., Kruse, S.H. et al. (2025). “Why shouldn’t I expect a lot from life?” – a qualitative study of what facilitates long-term recovery in first-episode psychosis. BMC Psychiatry 25, 423.
Sabella, K., & Thomas, E. (2024). What is Community Participation? Worcester, MA: UMass Chan Medical School, Implementation Science and Practice Advances Research Center (iSPARC), Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research, The Center for Community Inclusion and Reflective Collaboration (CIRC Center).
Salzer, M.S. & Baron, R.C. (2016). Well Together – A blueprint for community inclusion: fundamental concepts, theoretical frameworks and evidence. Published by Wellways Australia Limited, Melbourne, Australia.
Snethen, G., Jeffries, V., Thomas, E., & Salzer, M. (2020). Welcoming Places: Perspectives of Individuals With Mental Illnesses. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.