Objective:

The purpose of the study was to understand what living with schizophrenia means for people with the disease and their relatives, specifically in the case of patients who sought help during 2014 and 2015 at a state institution in Colombia that is dedicated to handling highly complex mental health problems.

Materials and method:

A qualitative approach was employed and the grounded theory methodology was used to analyze the information, which was gathered through eight in-depth interviews and two focus groups. Twenty-one individuals took part, including XX diagnosed with schizophrenia and their caregivers.

Results:

Through coding, theoretical sampling, constant comparison and analytical memos, a category was established; namely, "Living with schizophrenia is living locked up and in the dark, with curtailed dreams".

Conclusions:

For patients, their families and caregivers, living with schizophrenia leads to a sense of confinement that affects all their lives.

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