Experiences of Parents who Continue Living in a Community with Children that Have Schizophrenia

Abstract

This study aimed to clarify the experiences of parents who continue to live in a community that has children with schizophrenia.

A semiconstructive interview was conducted with 16 parents aged ≥65 years who participated in a family association in prefecture A, and the results were analyzed using the modified-grounded theory approach.

The analysis generated 9 categories and 23 concepts. After the onset of the disease, the parents felt [distress associated with the disease] and [decided to take care of their children based on parental love] as their parental responsibility. By repeatedly [avoided and confronted their children] in response to fluctuating mental symptoms, the parents [gained freedom from the feeling of being haunted by the disease] and obtained [support from friends and others close to them who understand their situations]. Consequently, the parents [strived to maintain their health by focusing on their own lives]. It was also revealed that the parents discussed about diseases and the future with their children [in preparation for their children’s lives after their death].

Changes in the lives of children with schizophrenia may make it possible for their parents to change their attitudes toward mental symptoms through careful monitoring to observation. Furthermore, in the wake of such changes, parents reflected on themselves, resulting in the realization that the parent–child relationship involves equal partnership.