title: Older adults with schizophrenia finding a place to belong.
abstract: Older adults with schizophrenia experience a high prevalence of comorbid conditions. The perspective of older adults with schizophrenia about their physical health has not been considered as a contributing factor. This paper presents findings from a grounded theory study that explored this perspective among 28 older adults with schizophrenia. Analyses revealed that finding a sense of belonging supported feeling physically healthy. A sense of connection with others and a physical place were associated with supporting a sense of belonging. Awareness of the facilitators of and barriers to finding a place to belong is key to improving the physical health of this vulnerable population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143-0610, USA. Heather.Leutwyler@ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Heather C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Leutwyler
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chafetz
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallhagen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012803:Sick Role; D012931:Social Environment; D012933:Social Identification