Clients with Schizophrenia and Their Caregivers' Perceptions of Frequent Psychiatric Rehospitalizations

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to achieve an understanding of the lived experience of the event of rehospitalization as seen by the schizophrenic patient and his or her designated caregiver. Five schizophrenic clients who met criteria and their designated caregivers were located using purposeful intensity sampling. A standardized open-ended interview was conducted with each informant using a dialogical approach. After redundancy was reached, data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Five themes reflecting the meaning of recidivism evolved from the data. These included rehospitalization as an event that: provided a safe place, provided stabilization of medication, produced a renewal of hope, reinforced frustration with the mental health care system, and produced decreased individual control. Findings can be used to develop a more comprehensive model of care for intervention with patients and caregivers.