The experience of caring for an adult child with schizophrenia

The experience of caring for an adult child with schizophrenia was explored using phenomenological methodology. Nine parents who were the primary caretakers of an adult child with schizophrenia participated in qualitative interviews. The resulting transcripts were analyzed to discover the structure of the lived experience. The study revealed that the diagnosis of schizophrenia in a child is experienced by the parent as a destructive force that interrupts and radically transforms the normative family life trajectory. This grief-filled experience involves both the loss of an imagined, idealized child and a transformation of the physically present child into a needy stranger. Implications are discussed and applied to community-based, family-centered mental health care. Importantly, the revealed dissatisfaction with initial mental health evaluations suggests that modification of current practices could produce significant benefits.