{"title":"\"Aging Amplifies Challenges\": A Descriptive Phenomenological Exploration of the Lived Experiences and Needs of Elderly Individuals With Schizophrenia.","authors":"Linghui Zhang, Yubin Chen, Yu Hong, Jiayuan Zhang, Wenlong Jiang, Qi Li, Xiaoyan Li, Yuqiu Zhou","doi":"10.1111/nhs.13168","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia face unique public health challenges, with specific treatment needs, complex care demands, accelerated aging, and increased susceptibility to health issues. This phenomenological study explored the existential realities and needs of older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia. Fifteen participants, with a mean age of 69.47 (SD ± 9.47) years, ranging from 62 to 79 years old and hailing from rural regions, participated in the study. Four main themes and eight sub-themes emerge: compounding the burden (challenges in symptom management, comorbidities); the abyss of a life filled with emptiness (loss of mental pillars, living in agony); living on the margins of society (the vicious cycle of social and self-isolation, unattainable social welfare); and glimmer of light in the darkness (support systems, self-adjustment). The study calls for healthcare professionals to improve follow-up care efficiency, strengthen engagement, understand patients' living conditions and needs, enforce existing welfare policies for older mentally ill patients, and enhance their mental health and quality of life.</p>","PeriodicalId":49730,"journal":{"name":"Nursing & Health Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nursing & Health Sciences","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.13168","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"NURSING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia face unique public health challenges, with specific treatment needs, complex care demands, accelerated aging, and increased susceptibility to health issues. This phenomenological study explored the existential realities and needs of older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia. Fifteen participants, with a mean age of 69.47 (SD ± 9.47) years, ranging from 62 to 79 years old and hailing from rural regions, participated in the study. Four main themes and eight sub-themes emerge: compounding the burden (challenges in symptom management, comorbidities); the abyss of a life filled with emptiness (loss of mental pillars, living in agony); living on the margins of society (the vicious cycle of social and self-isolation, unattainable social welfare); and glimmer of light in the darkness (support systems, self-adjustment). The study calls for healthcare professionals to improve follow-up care efficiency, strengthen engagement, understand patients' living conditions and needs, enforce existing welfare policies for older mentally ill patients, and enhance their mental health and quality of life.
期刊介绍:
NHS has a multidisciplinary focus and broad scope and a particular focus on the translation of research into clinical practice, inter-disciplinary and multidisciplinary work, primary health care, health promotion, health education, management of communicable and non-communicable diseases, implementation of technological innovations and inclusive multicultural approaches to health services and care.