title: A qualitative inquiry into the Taiwanese mentally ill persons' difficulties living in the community.
abstract: Community care has been a paradigm shift for psychiatric treatment worldwide; however, it has not been successfully implemented in many developing countries, including Taiwan. This qualitative study aimed to explore the Taiwanese mentally ill persons' difficulties living in the community. Social disadvantages and illness adaptation were recognized as two domains of difficulties encountered by Taiwanese mentally ill patients living in the community, while six themes were identified: getting a "shameful" illness, unmet needs for community care, being overcome by a distorted world, denying the illness, living with the illness, and adapting to changed level of functioning. Related cultural issues were also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Hung-Kuang, University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-Lan Esther
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kopelowicz
authors.forename: Chin-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Ping-Chuan
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hsiung
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D003688:Deinstitutionalization; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D003906:Developing Countries; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012752:Shame; D012919:Social Behavior; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan