RETRACTED: The complex lived experience of schizophrenia diagnosis: a thematic analysis of online forum posts

Lyons, Minna; Gupta, Veenu; Blaney, Peter Sunny; Ogenyi, Appey; Webster, Elliot; Brewer, Gayle

Abstract

This article was retracted by the authors on 18 December 2024. Further information can be found at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06175-2

Receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia can be a life-changing experience with both negative and positive consequences. Previous research has identified important aspects of diagnosis, such as disagreement with the label, diagnostic shifts, stigma, and communication of the diagnosis. There is, however, relatively little research from the lived experience perspective. In this study, we investigated the lived experiences of receiving a schizophrenia diagnosis utilising a popular Reddit discussion forum. We used inductive thematic analysis to consider posts from 105 unique usernames and identified five themes. These were (i) Denial and acceptance; (ii) Stigma of diagnosis and selective disclosure; (iii) The complicated process of diagnosis; (iv) Losing, maintaining, and finding a sense of self; and (v) Receiving, finding, and providing support. Diagnosis is a complex personal experience where the same person can simultaneously accept and reject the diagnostic label. Greater attention is required to the lived experience of this diagnostic journey.

Citation

Lyons, M., Gupta, V., Blaney, P. S., Ogenyi, A., Webster, E., & Brewer, G. (2024). RETRACTED: The complex lived experience of schizophrenia diagnosis: a thematic analysis of online forum posts. Current Psychology, 43(30), 24878-24889. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06175-2

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 21, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-08
• Deposit Date: Sep 11, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 11, 2024
• Journal: Current Psychology
• Print ISSN: 1046-1310
• Electronic ISSN: 1936-4733
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 43
• Issue: 30
• Pages: 24878-24889
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06175-2
• Keywords: Identity, Stigma, Schizophrenia, Lived experience, Diagnosis, Online forum
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2816784