Resources of social adaptation of persons with schizophrenia

SUMMARY Resources of Social Adaptation of People Ill with Schizophrenia Mental diseases of human psyche have overburdened our society becoming predominant than any other health disorder. Schizophrenia is one of the most complex mental diseases. The failure of social adaptation to the environment is one of the major symptoms of schizophrenia. This mental disease causes a negative effect on family relationships as well as produces damage on the human ability to perform professional activities. A diagnosis of schizophrenia is like a certain stigma to a person because such individuals tend to be discriminated in their society. It is of great importance to analyze and discover the strongest positive internal and external resources of the individual diagnosed with schizophrenia as this could provide the opportunity to offer effective professional help to a person overcoming the problems of social adaptation. The Paper is divided in two parts: theoretical and empirical one. The Theoretical part introduces the main symptoms of schizophrenia and demonstrates the consequences of the disease on individual. Moreover, the Paper analyzes the influence of schizophrenia on individual as a social being concentrating on three major aspects: family life, work and society. The conception of strength-based perspective has also been introduced as well as the importance of positive resources to social adaptation. The main aim of the research is to reveal the positive resources of the individual suffering from schizophrenia in order the help and support could be provided to ensure successful social adaptation. Three persons diagnosed with schizophrenia that were selected according to certain previously established criteria participated in the research. The qualitative analysis has been presented using the method of half-structural narrative interview. Though every case is unique, but taking everything into account, the research showed, that people diagnosed with schizophrenia experience alienation from their relatives. These relationships are gradually being reconstructed and the new ones are built at the same time. In this way, social network becomes an important resource. For those suffering from loneliness religion becomes the source of hope and strength. The work role enables such individuals feel significant members of the society. For this reason, work becomes important in achieving the positive progress of the mental disease. Professional teamwork, complex psychosocial rehabilitation and medicaments are vital for the adaptation too. People ill with schizophrenia not only are passive consumers, but also individuals having their own hobbies, interests, values, personal features, talents. Various external and inner resources and their purposeful mobilization could be of great help to achieve effective social adaptation and increase the quality of life to people diagnosed with schizophrenia