title: The lived experience of long-term psychiatric hospitalization of four women in Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  What is the experience from long-term psychiatric hospitalization? How can psychiatric nursing contribute to reduce the emotional suffering and the feeling of social exclusion related to this process?
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted on four women committed to long periods of psychiatric hospitalization in Brazil. Data were collected through open interviews and drawings made by the patients, and interpreted according to the theory of social representations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reports on the patients refer to a process of social exclusion, emotional suffering, and inadequate treatment in the hospital, leading to no other option but recurrent hospitalization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Negative experiences related to long-term hospitalization could possibly be minimized through adequate assistance provided by psychiatric nursing in open services, as proposed in the recent Brazilian psychiatric reform.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, State University of Sao Paulo (UNESP), Botucatu-SP, Brazil. malice@fmb.unesp.br
authors.forename: Maria Alice Ornellas
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Antonia Regina F
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Furegato
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001155:Art Therapy; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008016:Life Change Events; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D015279:Organizational Culture; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012934:Social Isolation; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*