Defining happiness for young adults with schizophrenia: a building block for recovery.
OBJECTIVE
Findings from this mixed methods descriptive study include a definition of happiness for young adults with schizophrenia (SCZ).


METHODS
Thirteen men and women, ages 23 to 35, completed a series of three individual 1-hour interviews over 6 weeks.


RESULTS
This definition included themes of material happiness, relational happiness, and health happiness. Although these themes correspond to those for young adults without SCZ, four barriers to happiness were identified for this vulnerable population: 1) fear, 2) isolation, 3) medication, 4) not being considered "normal."


CONCLUSIONS
Implications of these findings include designing interventions to support recovery by overcoming barriers to happiness.
Psychosocial and Community Health Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Electronic address: trezbuck@u.washington.edu.
Helen T
HT
Buckland
Karen G
KG
Schepp
Kristen
K
Crusoe
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult