Experience of community mental health treatment as perceived by young adult persons with chronic schizophrenia

The purpose of this research was to describe the experience of community mental health treatment as perceived by the young adult person with schizophrenia living in the community. Thirty persons diagnosed with schizophrenia were interviewed once using a semistructured interview. These participants were interviewed as part of a larger research project, "Experiences and Coping Strategies of People with Schizophrenia." The content analysis of the interview data was the basis for the conceptualization: limited autonomy. The intercoder reliability was 89%. Within this concept of limited autonomy are the participants' experiences of double binds within the community mental health system. On the one hand, they describe many opportunities for personal growth within the system. On the other hand, the participants describe many opportunities for personal growth within the system. On the other had, they describe the rules, persons, and places of the treatment system that serve to separate and isolate the young adult person with schizophrenia from the community. The community mental health system is perceived to some extent as limiting growth and autonomy beyond the negative identity of chronically mentally ill. It is anticipated that these findings with be useful to professionals involved in providing care to the young adult person with schizophrenia Implications for nursing are discussed.