The meaning of pharmacological treatment for schizophrenic patients

Authors

  • Kelly Graziani Giacchero Vedana Universidade de São Paulo; Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto
  • Adriana Inocenti Miasso Universidade de São Paulo; Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-1169.3427.2466

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: to understand the meaning of medication therapy for schizophrenic patients and formulate a theoretical model about the study phenomenon. METHOD: a qualitative approach was employed, using Symbolic Interactionism as the theoretical and Grounded Theory as the methodological framework. The research was developed between 2008 and 2010 at three community mental health services in the interior of the State of São Paulo - Brazil. Thirty-six patients and thirty-six family members were selected through theoretical sampling. The data were mainly collected through open interviews and observation and simultaneously analyzed through open, axial and selective coding. RESULTS: the meaning of the pharmacotherapy is centered on the phenomenon "Living with a help that bothers", which expresses the patients' ambivalence towards the medication and determines their decision making. The insight, access, limitations for self-administration of the drugs and interactions with family members and the health team influenced the patient's medication-related behavior. CONCLUSION: the theory presented in this study provides a comprehensive, contextualized, motivational and dynamic understanding of the relation the patient experiences and indicates potentials and barriers to follow the medication treatment.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2014-07-01

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 4 (2014)

Section

Original Articles

License

RLAE’s authorship concept is based on the substantial contribution by each of the individuals listed as authors, mainly in terms of conceiving and planning the research project, collecting or analyzing and interpreting data, writing and critical review. Indication of authors’ names under the article title is limited to six. If more, authors are listed on the online submission form under Acknowledgements. The possibility of including more than six authors will only be examined on multicenter studies, considering the explanations presented by the authors.
Including names of authors whose contribution does not fit into the above criteria cannot be justified. Those names can be included in the Acknowledgements section.
 Authors are fully responsible for the concepts disseminated in their manuscripts, which do not necessarily reflect the editors’ and editorial board’s opinion.

 

How to Cite

The meaning of pharmacological treatment for schizophrenic patients . (2014). Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem, 22(4), 670-678. https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-1169.3427.2466