"Moving forward despite adversity": The lives of Korean older adults with schizophrenia

Correlation of health literacy, health management self-efficacy, and attitude in elderly patients with schizophrenia: A cross-sectional study

AIM

The study investigated the relationship between chronic diseases and health problems, emotional health status, health literacy, health self-management attitude, and health management self-efficacy in older patients with schizophrenia. It is expected to provide multiple health perspectives in the care of older patients with schizophrenia and improve their health literacy and self-management.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Data collection from 2020/09 to 2021/10, the study of older patients with schizophrenia who were diagnosed with schizophrenia and were over 50 years, live in residential mental rehabilitation institutions in eastern Taiwan as older people. Data were collected on demographic variables, chronic diseases, health problems, health literacy, healthy management self-efficacy, and attitudes.

RESULTS

The study results show 61.49 years (SD = 6.57), the gender, health literacy, and health management self-efficacy can effectively explain the variance of health self-management state by 18.5% (F(3,116)  = 10.01, p < 0.000), in which health literacy (β = 0.28, t = 3.07, p = 0.003) and health management self-efficacy (β = 0.19, t = 2.03, p = 0.04) that in the analysis of predictors, emotional health status, and health literacy not only have significant explanatory power on health management self-efficacy and the performance of physical functions but are also important factors affecting the quality of life among the elderly; the important influencing factor of health management self-efficacy and health self-management behaviour is health literacy. Therefore, health literacy is crucial to the health attitudes of older patients with schizophrenia.

CONCLUSION

This study found that increased health literacy among older patients with schizophrenia can enhance their attitude and ability to manage their health. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Nursing can provide nursing measures related to individual health literacy to help patients improve their health literacy, maintain the health of chronic older patients with schizophrenia, reduce elderly schizophrenia disability, enhance patients' ability to manage their self-efficacy and health self-management attitude, and improving the health and quality of life of patients.

Challenges faced when living with schizophrenia in the community: A narrative inquiry

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder. People with schizophrenia have transferred from hospital-based care to community-based care with the support of mental health legal policies. Challenges faced in the community should be emphasized. Limited qualitative studies have explored the challenges of living with schizophrenia.

AIMS

To explore the challenges of people living with schizophrenia in the community.

METHODS

A narrative method was used, including semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Thematic analysis approach was used to analyze data.

RESULTS

Ten clients and their family members participated in the study. Analysis revealed three main themes related to their challenges in the community: deficits in self-management of illness; insufficient community mental health care; and the influence of policy. These challenges prevent those with schizophrenia from effectively managing their illness, returning to a productive role in society, and improving their quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

There are challenges in mental health rehabilitation and social reintegration of individuals with schizophrenia. There is a need for continuous community mental rehabilitation services, appropriate policy support, and the need to educate the public to reduce social bias and discrimination which allows individuals with schizophrenia to assume a productive role in the community.