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Bringing together patients and caregivers in the design and realization of a high-quality study is the aim of all researchers in medicine. The participatory action-research model, which stems from the social sciences, is particularly suited to psychiatry insofar as it targets an outcome that is a factor of change for all participants. It also makes it possible to dedicate sufficient time to elaboration, which is essential for properly understanding chronic mental illnesses. It was on this basis that a research group was formed at a psychiatric day hospital, working on the following question: “What remains of the illness when we are doing better?” This question quickly showed itself to be fundamental, at once authenticating and criticizing the fashionable notion of “recovery.” It appears that the establishment and permanence of a bond between patients and caregivers is essential for avoiding the stigmatization and rejection of those with mental illnesses and their caregivers.