2022 Volume 31 Issue 1 Pages 1-9
The purpose of this study was to describe assessment particulars for judging the possibility of discharge for long-term hospitalized patients with schizophrenia under the age of 65 years by psychiatric ward nurses. The participants were from three psychiatric hospitals in A and B prefectures of Japan, and the data were from semi-structured interviews with seven psychiatric ward nurses.
A content analysis of the narratives obtained from the interviews generated 42 codes for different meanings, 20 subcategories that explain and organize the codes, and distinguish these into the following 6 categories: “stabilization of medication-taking behavior,” “improvement in problematic behaviors toward self and others,” “reclaiming life by lowering mental symptoms,” “patient assent to the discharge,” “family coming to terms with the psychiatric symptoms,” and “acceptance of the family role that is required when the patient is discharged.” Based on these the psychiatric ward nurses have judged the possibility of discharge for long-term hospitalized patients with schizophrenia under the age of 65 years.
Subcategories of the findings of this study contribute to issues that are useful in collecting information when nurses with little experience in discharge support assess possibility of a discharge.
