Schizophrenic patients' image of their carers and the carers' image of their patients: an interview study

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In order to gain a deeper understanding of how long-term adult schizophrenic patients perceive themselves, their carers and the care they receive in relation to how the carers perceive their patients, themselves and the care they provide, a narrative interview study, analysed using a method inspired by Ricoeur's philosophy, was performed. The main findings of this study were that both patients and carers who saw the patients as a subject stressed the confirming relation between the parties as an essential element of the care. The carers who saw the patient as an object did not share this opinion. They had a more restricted point of view, seeing their goal only as providing a variety of care activities and keeping the schizophrenic patients at the hospital. This study also points out that confirmation is provided in the meeting between patient and carers.