title: Service users' personal experience and interpretation of mental illness: oriental narratives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Service users' perception of mental illness is vital because it points out a viable direction that practitioners can follow to fully understand service users in their own sociocultural context.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative research findings include mental health service users' roles and identities, their perceptions of mental illness and their personal experiences of psychiatric stigma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While there are similar phenomena regarding mental illness stigma between East and West, there are culturally distinctive characteristics found in Taiwan.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on personal perceptions and experiences, mental health service users have interpreted illness and performed the patient role in their own way.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, Tzu Chi University, No 67 Jieren Street, Hualien City, 97041, Taiwan. jyw536@mail.tcu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Jin Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012923:Social Class; D013240:Stereotyping; D013624:Taiwan