本研究為探討慢性精神分裂症病患其主要照顧者的慢性悲傷經驗。採用描述性現象學質性研究法，於中部某醫學中心精神科部門（門診、急性病房、慢性病房、日間病房、社區復健）立意取樣，收案條件包含年滿20歲、具有口語表達能力、精神分裂症診斷後照顧患者經驗2年以上、有慢性悲傷經驗，願意接受訪談且簽妥同意書者；排除條件為照顧者本身有認知障礙者。以一對一非結構式訪談收集資料，並運用Colaizzi’s（1978）七步驟分析法。在本研究中，訪談12位個案已達資料飽和。研究結果呈現『無盡的旅程』為核心範疇，包含3個主題及8個次主題，分別為與悲傷相遇（脫序的生活、崩解的自尊、渺茫的希望、潰堤的安全感）；與悲傷對話（認知的改變、行動的轉換）；與悲傷同行（與殘缺共存、與責任共存）。由研究結果可以以發現精神分裂症病患其主要照顧者經歷許多失落，並透過調適及他人的支持幫助照顧者在慢性悲傷當中持續病患的照護。透過本研究可以提供臨床人員及相關部門對於精神分裂症病患其主要照顧者慢性悲傷之了解，以提供更適切之個人化照護。
The main goal of this study was to explore the chronic sorrow experiences of carers of clients with chronic schizophrenia. A descriptive phenomenological method was conducted. With the use of purposive sampling from a psychiatric department in a medical center of central Taiwan. Participants needed to fulfill the requirements that identical to chronic sorrow by the questionnaire, older than 20 years old, capable of communication, more than 2 years of caring experiences, and the willingness to participate in the study with a form of inform consent. Person with cognitive impaired was excluded. Narratives of each one-on-one interview were analyzed by Colaizzi’s (1978) seven-step method. The data saturation was achieved with 12 participants. The drift of this study was about “an endless journey”. Three themes and eight sub-themes were identified: encountering with sorrow (loss of routine, loss of dignity, loss of hope, loss of security); communicating with sorrow (cognitive adaptation, action adaptation); being with sorrow (living with imperfection, living with responsibility). The results indicated that carers of clients with schizophrenia suffered from losses; with the aid of adaptation and support, carers can continue caring and the journey with sorrow. The study also plays a vital role in offering medical staffs and related professions to understand the chronic sorrow experiences of carers, in order to provide more appropriate care.
