What is psychosis? A meta-synthesis of inductive qualitative studies exploring the experience of psychosis

Abstract

Qualitative studies have played an important role in elucidating the lived experience of psychosis and there has recently been an increase in the number of such studies. There is now an urgent need to draw together the findings of these studies. This paper performed a meta-synthesis of inductive qualitative peer-reviewed research into psychosis. Ninety-seven articles were identified for systematic appraisal. Four themes, “Losing,” “Identifying a need for, and seeking, help,” “Rebuilding and reforging,” and “Better than new: gifts from psychosis,” were identified. Central to the first and third themes were the loss and regaining of basic human needs such as sleep, physical and financial security, relationships with friends and family, self-esteem, and hope. The important implications of the four themes for clinical practice, and for future research are examined, and it is demonstrated how the experience of psychosis is much more than simply just hallucinations and/or delusions.