Abstract
The present qualitative descriptive study aimed at elucidating the daily life experiences of patients forced to remain in a psychiatric hospital for prolonged periods of time. The study involved 12 patients who had been in a psychiatric hospital for 10 or more years. Data were collected from these patients by means of participant observation and semi-structured interview, and analyzed in a qualitative and inductive manner. The study revealed that long-term inpatients "had lost much and had experienced life-threatening events" but were finding daily life worth living, "supported by their own unique experiences of life before hospitalization," "small satisfactions found during their hospital stay," "attempts to make connections with society while living on the ward" and "dreams and desires focused on their own lives." These results indicate that the nursing care provided to long-stay patients must include sympathetic understanding of the patients' experiences of loss, and explore opportunities and personal relationship that facilitate patients' pursuit of their unique existences.
