“My Life as it is Has Value”: Narrating Schizophrenia in Later Years
Abstract
I used thematic narrative analysis, informed by the developmental life course perspective, to formulate a line of semistructured questioning for interviews with 6 older adults who experienced ongoing symptoms of schizophrenia. From the 31 resulting interviews and 38 observation points, I developed life history narratives that yielded findings across four shared core themes. In this article I present my findings on the theme of narrative insight into schizophrenia in later years. Whereas only 2 of the participants had clinical insight into their mental illness, all had developed personal stories about their lives with schizophrenia. I discuss the significance of the shared narrative profile and the importance of using narrative insight to develop more effective clinical practices and to focus future research with older adults with schizophrenia.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Studies of first-person experience of psychosis demonstrate that insight is most significant when it helps persons make sense or meaning of life events in a narratized manner.
“This view is consistent with studies of firstperson experience of psychosis, which demonstrate that insight is most significant to persons with psychosis when it helps them make sense or meaning of life events in a narratized manner [191][192][193][194] .”
From Insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: relationship with behavior, mood and perceived quality of life, underlying causes and emerging treatments (2018) · cites this paper as [193]
Cites
Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches
Lewis, S. (2015) · Health Promotion Practice · doi:10.1177/1524839915580941 · Cited by 22,105 · see citing works
(2011) · Cited by 7,157 · see citing works
Narrative Methods for the Human Sciences
Riessman, C. K. (2007) · Cited by 5,251 · see citing works
Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches, 2nd ed.
Creswell, J. W. (2007) · Cited by 5,014 · see citing works
Time, Human Agency, and Social Change: Perspectives on the Life Course
Elder, G. H. (1994) · Social Psychology Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2786971 · Cited by 2,862 · see citing works
Lysaker, P. H., Roe, D., & Yanos, P. T. (2006) · Schizophrenia Bulletin · doi:10.1093/schbul/sbl016 · Cited by 688 · see citing works
Lysaker, P. H., Carcione, A., Dimaggio, G., Johannesen, J., Nicolò, G., Procacci, M., & Semerari, A. (2005) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.2005.00514.x · Cited by 528 · see citing works
Lincoln, T. M., Lullmann, E., & Rief, W. (2006) · Schizophrenia Bulletin · doi:10.1093/schbul/sbm002 · Cited by 486 · see citing works
Living outside mental illness: qualitative studies of recovery in schizophrenia
Davidson, L. (2004) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.41-3110 · Cited by 462 · see citing works
Resisting the Stigma of Mental Illness
Thoits, P. A. (2011) · Social Psychology Quarterly · doi:10.1177/0190272511398019 · Cited by 354 · see citing works
Engaging with Phenomenology: Is it more of a Challenge than it Needs to be?
Caelli, K. (2001) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/104973201129118993 · Cited by 261 · see citing works
Self and narrative in schizophrenia: time to author a new story
Roe, D., & Davidson, L. (2005) · Medical Humanities · doi:10.1136/jmh.2005.000214 · Cited by 212 · see citing works
The evolution of insight, paranoia and depression during early schizophrenia
DRAKE, R. J., PICKLES, A., BENTALL, R. P., KINDERMAN, P., HADDOCK, G., TARRIER, N., & LEWIS, S. W. (2004) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291703008821 · Cited by 204 · see citing works
Lack of Insight in Schizophrenia
Buckley, P. F., Wirshing, D. A., Bhushan, P., Pierre, J. M., Resnick, S. A., & Wirshing, W. C. (2007) · CNS Drugs · doi:10.2165/00023210-200721020-00004 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Storying Later Life: Issues, Investigations, and Interventions in Narrative Gerontology
Audisio, R. A., & Audisio, M. M. (2011) · Surgical Oncology · doi:10.1016/j.suronc.2011.08.002 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Calendar and Time Diary Methods in Life Course Research
Stafford, F. P., Belli, R. F., & Alwin, D. F. (2008) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Understanding adversity and resilience at older ages
Hildon, Z. J., Smith, G., Netuveli, G., & Blane, D. (2008) · Sociology of Health & Illness · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9566.2008.01087.x · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Lysaker, P. H., Glynn, S. M., Wilkniss, S. M., & Silverstein, S. M. (2010) · Psychological Services · doi:10.1037/a0019115 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Assessment of capacity to give consent to research participation: state-of-the-art and beyond.
DeRenzo, E. G., Conley, R. R., & Love, R. (1998) · PubMed · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Hutchison, E. D. (2005) · Families in Society The Journal of Contemporary Social Services · doi:10.1606/1044-3894.1886 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Lysaker, P. H., & Lysaker, J. T. (2001) · British Journal of Medical Psychology · doi:10.1348/000711201160777 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Roe, D. J., & Kravetz, S. (2003) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/01.nmd.0000081645.31919.6b · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Buck, K. D., Roe, D., Yanos, P., Buck, B., Fogley, R. L., Grant, M., Lubin, F., & Lysaker, P. H. (2013) · Psychosis · doi:10.1080/17522439.2012.699544 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Lysaker, P. H., Buck, K. D., Salvatore, G., Popolo, R., & Dimaggio, G. (2009) · Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics · doi:10.1586/ern.09.55 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Storying Later Life; Issues, Investigations, and Interventions in Narrative Gerontology
Kenyon, G. M., Bohlmeijer, E. T., & Randall, W. L. (2010) · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Insight and Psychosis: Comparing the Perspectives of Patient, Entourage and Clinician
Tranulis, C., Corin, E., & Kirmayer, L. J. (2008) · International Journal of Social Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/0020764008088860 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
How listeners shape what tellers tell
Randall, W. L., Prior, S. M., & Skarborn, M. (2006) · Journal of Aging Studies · doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2005.11.005 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Call It a Monster for Lack of Anything Else
Roe, D., Hasson‐Ohayon, I., Kravetz, S., Yanos, P. T., & Lysaker, P. H. (2008) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0b013e31818ec6e7 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Qualitative methods in social work
Flynn, C. A. (2023) · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · doi:10.4337/9781800376199.00017 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Incomprehensibility in the Narratives of Individuals With a Diagnosis of Schizophrenia
Saavedra, J., Cubero, M., & Crawford, P. (2009) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732309351110 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Life Course Perspectives on Social Factors and Mental Illness
George, L. K. (2007) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-0-387-36320-2_9 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Lessons Learned About Poor Insight
Arango, C., & AMADOR, X. F. (2010) · Schizophrenia Bulletin · doi:10.1093/schbul/sbq143 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Davidson, L. (2020) · New York University Press eBooks · doi:10.18574/nyu/9780814785355.001.0001 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Issues for DSM-V: incorporating patients’ subjective experiences.
Flanagan, E. H., Davidson, L., & Strauss, J. S. (2007) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.2007.164.3.391 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Lysaker, P. H., Erikson, M., Macapagal, K. R., Tunze, C., Gilmore, E. M., & Ringer, J. M. (2012) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0b013e31824cb0f4 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Prognosis in Schizophrenia and the Role of Subjectivity
Strauss, J. S. (2007) · Schizophrenia Bulletin · doi:10.1093/schbul/sbn001 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Belli, R. F., Alwin, D. F., & Stafford, F. P. (2009) · Sage eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781412990295.d2 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Timeline Data Collection and Analysis: Time Diary and Event History Calendar Methods
Stafford, F. P. (2009) · Sage eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781412990295.d4 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Issues for DSM-V: Incorporating Patients’ Subjective Experiences
Flanagan, E. H. (2007) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.164.3.391 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Lysaker, P. H., Pattison, M. L., Leonhardt, B. L., Phelps, S., & Vohs, J. L. (2018) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.20508 · Cited by 247 · see citing works
Forensic Psychiatric Patients’ Perspectives on Their Care: A Narrative View
Askola, R., Nikkonen, M., Paavilainen, E., Soininen, P., Putkonen, H., & Louheranta, O. (2016) · Perspectives In Psychiatric Care · doi:10.1111/ppc.12201 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Narrative research on mental health recovery: two sister paradigms
Spector‐Mersel, G., & Knaifel, E. (2017) · Journal of Mental Health · doi:10.1080/09638237.2017.1340607 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Reynolds, K., Medved, M., Mackenzie, C. S., Funk, L. M., & Koven, L. (2020) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732320919094 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Bergström, T., Seikkula, J., Holma, J. M., Mäki, P. H., Köngäs‐Saviaro, P., & Alakare, B. (2019) · Psychosis · doi:10.1080/17522439.2019.1603320 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“Like Every Normal Person?!” The Paradoxical Effect of Aging With Schizophrenia
Mushkin, P., Band‐Winterstein, T., & Avieli, H. (2018) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732318764389 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Walker, V. G., & Harrison, T. C. (2023) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnad149 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
May, C. R., Gravenhorst, K. C., Hillis, A., Arber, M. R., Chew-Graham, C. A., Gallacher, K., Mair, F. S., Nolte, E., & Richardson, A. M. (2024) · Health and Social Care Delivery Research · doi:10.3310/hgtq8159 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Bouvet, C., Naudin, C., & Zajac, J. (2019) · L Encéphale · doi:10.1016/j.encep.2018.12.004 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Ulfseth, L. A., Josephsson, S., & Alsaker, S. (2016) · Narrative Inquiry · doi:10.1075/ni.26.1.02ulf · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“Moving forward despite adversity”: The lives of Korean older adults with schizophrenia
Joung, J., Kim, B., Kim, J., Lee, G., & Kim, S. (2021) · Archives of Psychiatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2021.02.005 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Ogden, L. P. (2021) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732321992047 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Self-citationLiao, W.-K., & Rong, J. (2020) · International Journal of Studies in Nursing · doi:10.20849/ijsn.v5i1.699 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Joung, J., Kim, B., Choi, D. J., Kim, E., Kim, J., Shin, Y., & Kim, S. (2021) · Issues in Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.1080/01612840.2021.1943084 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
de Koning, M. B., van Dijk, A., van Alphen, C., Groen, K., Aarts, R., van Til, M., Burger, T. J., Vellinga, A., Willems, R., Andriessen, D., et al. (2025) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069251360299 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Mitigating the Effects of Withdrawal Behavior on Organizations
Alexander, J. F. (2016) · ScholarWorks (Walden University) · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Life Trajectories of Suicide Attempt Survivors
Peña‐Salazar, C., Algado, S. S., Pons‐Baños, J., Arrufat, F., & Valdés‐Stauber, J. (2019) · Journal of Humanistic Psychology · doi:10.1177/0022167819847100 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
The real experience of older people with schizophrenia: A qualitative meta‐synthesis
Sun, Y., Liao, L., Jin, X., Li, P., Zhao, W., & Li, L. (2026) · British Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjc.70053
Walker, V. G., & Harrison, T. C. (2026) · doi:10.2196/preprints.99835
Reconstructing identity: a structural narrative inquiry into lived psychosis experiences
Kovancı, M. S., Öcalan, S., & Hi̇çdurmaz, D. (2026) · Psychosis · doi:10.1080/17522439.2026.2652616
- Authors
- Ogden, L. P.
- Affiliations
- City University of New York (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ogden, Lydia P.
- ORCID
- Ogden, Lydia P.
- Venue
- Qualitative Health Research
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2014-09-03
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1342-1355
- ISSN
- 1049-7323 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7557
- OpenAlex
- W2106193443
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 4
- FWCI
- 1.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Qualitative Health Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
- Keywords
- schizophrenia, older adults, life stories, clinical insight, lived experience, clinical practice development
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Middle Aged, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenic Psychology, Self Concept, Personal Narratives as Topic
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
