Coping with Schizophrenia: Patterns in Later Adulthood

By exploring the subjective experience of older people, this study investigated whether the coping framework developed with younger adults with schizophrenia could be applied to people with schizophrenia over the age of 50 years. Fifteen participants diagnosed with schizophrenia, over the age of 50,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of aging & human development 2001-01, Vol.53 (1), p.1-10
Main Authors: Solano, Nancy H., Whitbourne, Susan Krauss
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Age Differences
Aging (Individuals)
Aging - psychology
Behavior Patterns
Behavior Therapy - statistics & numerical data
Biological and medical sciences
Chronic Illness
Cognitive Therapy - statistics & numerical data
Coping
Coping strategies
Daily Living Skills
Disease Progression
Elderly
Emotional Adjustment
Female
Health problems
Humans
Illnesses
Interview, Psychological
Medical personnel
Medical sciences
Mental health
Mental Illness
Mentally Ill Persons - psychology
Middle Aged
Older Adults
Older people
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychoses
Resilience (Personality)
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenic Psychology
Self Care - psychology
Self Efficacy
Social Support
Surveys and Questionnaires
Symptoms
United States
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Summary:By exploring the subjective experience of older people, this study investigated whether the coping framework developed with younger adults with schizophrenia could be applied to people with schizophrenia over the age of 50 years. Fifteen participants diagnosed with schizophrenia, over the age of 50, were recruited from clubhouses and given a semi-structured interview to identify what, if any, coping strategies were used to manage persistent symptoms. The results indicated that the coping strategies used by this older sample were similar to those reported by earlier studies with younger populations. However, it was reported that the efficacy of the coping strategies had increased as the participants had grown older and accepted their illness. Older adults with schizophrenia are capable of employing strategies to manage their illness and should be considered an important source of knowledge for younger individuals who struggle with the illness and for mental health professionals who work with the chronically mentally ill.
ISSN:0091-4150
1541-3535
DOI:10.2190/ELXM-AMQU-GEQN-QQPW