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Abstract
Purpose: To explore effective communication strategies that may be used to promote efficacious research with older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Design: A theoretical framework of Life Course Theory was used to examine the problems of communicating in research settings with older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia and present potential effective solutions to these problems.
Methods: Using Life Course Theory as an underpinning, a literature review was conducted regarding communication strategies/methods commonly used in psychiatric nursing. This paper deductively presents how these strategies/methods could theoretically improve nursing research with older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Results: Four main potential effective strategies for communication with older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia in nursing research were identified which were (1) giving space; (2) shortened intervals; (3) the use of simple, meaningful phrases; and (4) showing engagement.
Conclusions: Older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia may be given more opportunities to share their input regarding their perceptions and valuable input regarding health care systems if these effective strategies of communication are used when conducting nursing research.
Clinical relevance: There is a need to gain more information regarding the perceptions of older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia as they are living longer and are entering into a health care system that is often at a quandary as to how to best care for them. The strategies delineated in this paper are part of an ongoing project to co-develop a model with older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia specifically tailored to improve their health outcomes and quality of life.
KEYWORDS
chronic illness/chronic disease, communication, gerontology/geriatrics, mental health/ psychiatric, patient advocacy/patient rights protection, theory/theory construction/theory testing
INTRODUCTION
Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects behavior, language, cognition, speech, and perception (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013; Angers et al., 2021; Medvedev et al., 2021); it is a leading cause of mental-health disability experienced by approximately 21 million individuals worldwide (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2018). The mean life expectancies of those with schizophrenia are 20 years less than the general population's, possibly owing to traumatic life course experiences (Liu et al., 2021; Longden et al., 2020), accelerated aging (Lee, 2016; Moradi et al., 2018; Muntané et al., 2021; NIMH, 2018; Seeman, 2019), and comorbidities, which can include depression, substance use, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes (Brooks et al.,...