SCHIZOPHRENIA AND VIOLENCE: THE PERSPECTIVE OF WOMEN

Abstract

Violence against women is a major public health problem. Women with a diagnosis of schizophrenia suffer higher rates of violence compared with women without mental illnesses. Little research has focused on what it means for women to live with schizophrenia and a history of violence. This interpretive phenomenological study identified three themes of schizophrenia and violence: Being Stigmatized, Foreclosing a Future of Possibilities, and Finding Meaning in Symptoms. The results suggest mental health professionals should assess women with diagnoses of schizophrenia for violence and provide opportunities for trauma stories to be heard. These listening types of patient-centered interventions may promote recovery.