Aloneness and loneliness - persons with severe mental illness and experiences of being alone
Engelsk titel: Aloneness and loneliness - persons with severe mental illness and experiences of being alone
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Författare:
Andersson, Gunnel
;
Denhov, Anne
;
Bülow, Per
;
Topor, Alain
Email: gunnel.andersson@fou-sodertorn.se
Språk: Eng
Antal referenser: 34
Dokumenttyp:
Artikel
UI-nummer: 15103488
Sammanfattning
People with severe mental illness (SMI) are often described as lonely and socially incapable -
an inability resulting from the mental illness. The aim of this article is to explore experiences of
being alone among persons with SMI. The article is based on interviews with 19 persons diagnosed
with psychosis who were interviewed between four and nine times over a period of three years. The
findings show that experiences of being alone can be identified by two concepts: aloneness and
loneliness. The persons in the study appeared as socially able and active in relation to their social
lives. However, a social agent does not operate in a void but in interaction with specific living
conditions; the experiences of aloneness and loneliness may be viewed as the result of the interplay
between the individual and the social and material environment.