Original Research

Recollected experiences of first hospitalisation for acute psychosis among persons diagnosed with schizophrenia in South Africa

Y Zubi, P Connolly
South African Journal of Psychiatry | Vol 19, No 3 | a399 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v19i3.399 | © 2013 Y Zubi, P Connolly | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 12 September 2012 | Published: 30 August 2013

About the author(s)

Y Zubi, Department of Psychology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, South Africa
P Connolly, Department of Psychology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

First-time admission to a psychiatric hospital for acute psychosis has been reported to be extremely traumatic, and this has not been adequately researched in the South African context. This study approached persons diagnosed with schizophrenia and explores their recollected, subjective experiences of their first admission to a South African psychiatric hospital ward for acute psychosis. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with seven participants diagnosed with schizophrenia. These were analysed using thematic content analysis. While some participants had positive experiences, the majority reported frightening, distressing, emotionally painful or traumatic experiences during their first hospitalisation. The first hospital admission was also described as having serious long-term implications for the person’s wellbeing, particularly as the diagnosis of schizophrenia made them feel isolated and stigmatised, which further hinders them from recovering from their symptoms and reintegrating into society. This study therefore draws attention to aspects of the process of first admission to psychiatric wards in South Africa, which may benefit from proactive intervention and closer research attention.


Keywords

Schizophrenia; Acute psychosis; First-time admission; Psychiatric hospital

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Crossref Citations

1. Predictors of Hospitalization of Individuals With First-Episode Psychosis: Data From a 2-Year Follow-Up of the RAISE-ETP
Delbert G. Robinson, Nina R. Schooler, Robert A. Rosenheck, Haiqun Lin, Kyaw J. Sint, Patricia Marcy, John M. Kane
Psychiatric Services  vol: 70  issue: 7  first page: 569  year: 2019  
doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201800511