Rebuilding of Life in Local Communities by Males Living with Schizophrenia who Had Experienced Long-term Hospitalization, and Currently Using Daycare Services—Developing Connections in Loss and Loneliness—

Abstract

Objectives: Methods of rebuilding the life of males living with schizophrenia who had experienced long-term hospitalization and were currently using psychiatric daycare services in local communities were investigated from the viewpoint of the people to obtain suggestions for supporting them. Methods: Qualitative and descriptive research designs were applied by referring to ethnographic methods. Participants were nine males living with schizophrenia who had experienced long-term hospitalization of over three years and were currently using psychiatric daycare services. Rebuilding of their life after discharge were identified from analyzing data obtained through participant observation and interviews. Results: Participants experienced " loss of connections because of their long-term hospitalization" and felt lonely because of "the difficulty in obtaining membership of in their new community" that was unfamiliar to them. They tried to "maintain life and circumstances created by their illness through using the support" of professionals and relatives and rebuild their life by "acquiring connections with daycare members and a role in the community." Conclusions: It is necessary to enhance the relationship between the peer community and the local community, providing employment support from early time and local activity opportunities to achieve social participation in which males living with schizophrenia that had experienced longterm hospitalization can live without being isolated.

The relationships among activity information, personal recovery, and related psychosocial factors in psychiatric day-care users in Japan

“…Of new DC users after 1 year, only 19% return to work or obtain employment, 25% cancel or pause DC use due to hospitalization or refusal to continue, and 57% continue DC use (MHLW, 2016). This arises from the fact that DCs can strengthen the roles or sense of belonging of DC participants within the DC, whereas it is difficult to obtain membership in the community and in society (Narita and Kobayashi, 2020). While participation in DCs produces a variety of benefits, a strong sense of belonging in the DC produces a dependency on it causing participants' activities to be limited to those inside the DC, decreasing the chances of participants' social participation outside the DC, and thus, disrupting recovery.…”