The cognitive and social world of schizophrenics as perceived by health care professionals and experienced by schizophrenics themselves: Autoethnography and interviews

This ethnographic research involved an autoethnography, and interviews of health care professionals and schizophrenic patients. The autoethnography detailed the researcher\u27s personal experiences with schizophrenia, which were compared to other autoethnographies. Three psychiatrists, a therapist, psychiatric hospital unit manager, social worker, nurse, and psychiatric nurse\u27s aide were interviewed, as were six schizophrenic patients, including three from the same family. The interviews were compared, and findings were correlated to the literature. Schizophrenics are individuals, not homogeneous in personality or life experience; schizophrenia is not uniform for all. Patients were dependent upon their doctors and support network. Schizophrenic family communication dynamics were examined. There was no support for the presence of a schizophrenic language. Bizarre behavior was not noted. Flatness of affect and repetitiousness were observed. A paucity of abstract ideas was seen. Divergence in philosophy and role of individual health care professionals was noted. Schizophrenia is a debilitating, presently incurable, genetic disease with diverse, but similar features that affects all aspects of life, but particularly affects communication with self and others