Dignity in Older Adults With Schizophrenia Residing in Assisted Living Facilities.

There is a lack of nursing literature on older adults' perceptions of dignity, specifically those of older adults with schizophrenia. With the aging population, mental health services and support for older adults with schizophrenia will become a greater priority. The purpose of the current descriptive phenomenological study was to describe the meaning of the lived experience of dignity for older adults with schizophrenia residing in assisted living facilities. A purposive sample of eight older adults with schizophrenia residing in assisted living facilities participated in semi-structured interviews following the descriptive phenomenological psychological method. Five intertwined constituents were identified: (1) dignity is an intrinsic or self-regarding experience; (2) dignity is an experience that is reciprocal, extrinsic, and regards others, and is embedded in social relationships; (3) dignity can be eroded by ageism, stigma, discrimination, and alienation; (4) dignity can be interrupted when positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia are present and misunderstood by others; and (5) dignity can be enhanced when oneself and others embrace a recovery-focused relationship. Implications for mental health nursing are provided. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 56(2), 20-28.].