思覺失調症患者的親密關係經驗研究

人在生命成長的過程中，透過與別人的相處、互動和溝通形成人際關係的網絡，從互動過程中尋覓到讓自己感到心動的伴侶。研究者相信罹患思覺失調症患者的病友也有自身發展親密關係的經驗和脈絡，只是這樣的經驗少有人看見和重視，為了進一步探索這塊未知的經驗，研究者針對該議題進行探索性研究，初步來探索思覺失調症患者在親密關係中蘊含那些經驗。本研究旨在理解思覺失調症患者的親密關係經驗，探討思覺失調症患者進入親密關係後產生的改變以及在經營親密關係過程中遭遇那些阻力和助力。本研究取向以質性為基礎，並採用敘事研究的方法，共邀請四位思覺失調症患者一起參與研究，並將各自的親密關係經驗作為故事敘說的主題，進而探討其經驗中的特性與內涵。從敘事的文本中發現，思覺失調症患者在與交往對象相處的過程中彼此激發工作復健的動力，並且互相提供情緒支持，但與交往對象分手後也陷入深層的悲傷中，而影響到疾病的穩定。在交往穩定之後，雙方開始思考邁入婚姻的可能性時也會遭逢許多阻力，基於疾病遺傳因素、照顧因素、發病的風險因素、經濟因素和交往對象家庭的排斥等，都可能讓雙方難以邁入婚姻。最後本研究嘗試從故事中找出更多對話的可能性，期待相關社會工作者在面臨思覺失調症患者發展親密關係時，雙方能夠互相充分的討論和傾聽彼此，並且和家屬建立互信和溝通的橋樑。

關鍵字

思覺失調症患者；親密關係；敘事研究

並列摘要

People build interpersonal networks by spending time together, interacting and commuting with others as they grow and develop in life and look for partners that attract them in the interaction process. This researcher argues that patients with schizophrenia also have their own experiences and contexts in developing intimate relationships although few people are aware of and pay attention to such experiences. To probe into this unknown realm of experience, this researcher preliminarily investigated hidden experiences in intimate relationships among patients with schizophrenia by conducting an exploratory research on this issue. The purpose of this research is to understand the experiences patients with schizophrenia have with intimate relationships and examine the changes they go through after entering into relationships and the hindering and facilitating factors they encounter while maintaining such relationships. The research orientation was on a qualitative basis and the narrative research method was used. Four patients with schizophrenia were invited to participate in the research by sharing their own experiences with intimate relationships as the topic of their storytelling. The shared experiences were then examined to identify their characteristics and connotations. As observed in the narrative text, these patients, while spending time together with their partners, motivate each other to work and receive rehabilitation and give each other emotional support. However, they are also in deep sorrow after breakups, a situation that affects the stability of their conditions. As they go steady with their partners and both sides begin to contemplate the possibility of entering into marriage, they also encounter many hindering factors, such as genetic links of their illness, the caretaking issue, the risk of schizophrenic episodes, economic concerns, objection from the partner’s family, all of these can make it difficult for both sides to enter into marriage. Finally, this research has attempted to find more possibilities for further conversation in the stories. It is hoped that social workers, when encountering patients with schizophrenia who are developing intimate relationships, can fully discuss their situations with them, listen to each other, and build a trusting communication bridge with their families.