Recovering from severe mental illness: mutual influences of self and illness

A growing body of literature on the subjective experiences of people with severe mental illness (SMI) reveals the importance of the experience of self. The current study explored how the course of SMI is related to individuals' subjective experience of self. Bimonthly, comprehensive, semi-structured interviews with 43 people who had been discharged from psychiatric hospitalization were conducted over a 1-year period. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed mutual influences between the experience of self and illness over time. Conceptual and clinical implications of the relation between self and illness are discussed.