Participation of People With Schizophrenia in Everyday Life: Family’s Perspective

Objectives: People with chronic mental health condition like schizophrenia experience a lot of changes in their lives, in addition to their symptoms. The present study used a thematic analysis to explore the participation of people with schizophrenia in daily life from family’s perspective. It has uncovered some of the contributing factors in the everyday life participation of this group.  Methods: Semi-structured interviews were held with 8 family members of patients with schizophrenia. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were then analyzed in 6 phases of thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes and 10 subthemes were extracted from the interviews. The main themes included impaired function, family types, and treatment dimensions. The subthemes identified within the family circumstance theme were supportive family, pitying family, ignored family, and confused family. Discussion: According to the findings, besides the effects of the disease and its treatment on the performance of people with schizophrenia, the family also has a substantial role in the participation of their ill member in daily life activities. Considering the identified effects of families on patients’ participation and their needs, designing family-based interventions and training programs can facilitate the participation of patients with schizophrenia in everyday life.