"I am a misunderstood being on earth" - Concept of illness of patients suffering from schizophrenic psychosis before and after psychoeducational treatment

Citation
E. Hofer et al., "I am a misunderstood being on earth" - Concept of illness of patients suffering from schizophrenic psychosis before and after psychoeducational treatment, PSYCHIAT PR, 28(6), 2001, pp. 287-291
Citations number
29
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry
Journal title
PSYCHIATRISCHE PRAXIS
ISSN journal
03034259 → ACNP
Volume
28
Issue
6
Year of publication
2001
Pages
287 - 291
Database
ISI
SICI code
0303-4259(200109)28:6<287:"AAMBO>2.0.ZU;2-V
Abstract
Objective: To determine the effects of a psychoeducational intervention on the individual concepts of illness of patients suffering from schizophrenia . Method: 27 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia according to ICD-10 were interviewed with open ended questions about their concept of illness at admission to a day hospital and after 10 weeks of attending a psychoeduc ational program. Questions concerned terminology, diagnosis, prognosis, int erventions and aetiology. A qualitative analysis of these data is presented . Results: The terms used to describe the illness were mostly colloquial. H ighly individualized and heterogeneous concepts of illness, aetiology and h elpful interventions and a positive view regarding prognosis prevailed. Cha nges over time were limited and arbitrary. Conclusions: The concepts offere d by professionals were adopted in a very limited way, which can be underst ood in the context of highly individualized ways of coping with diagnosis a nd illness.