This article argues for the adoption of action theory as the foundation for rethinking psychiatric research and practice as it relates to individuals with serious mental illnesses. Action theory involves viewing human beings as agents who are active in creating their experiences and environments at the same time as they are shaped by them. Rather than following from insight, actions are viewed as preceding and generating insight. When viewed in this manner, the chronicity formerly associated with psychosis is reinterpreted as habits stemming from institutionalization, while recovery is understood as developing new habits based on the person's need to establish caring relationships and focus on being grounded in the present. What results is a strengths-based approach to practice that shares many basic principles with occupational science and therapy, leading us to call for a renewed interest in mental illness among investigators and practitioners within this discipline and profession.
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