[Illness Concepts of Patients with Schizophrenia: A Triangulation Study]

Objective Therapists' and patients' concepts of illness often show severe discrepancies. This study explores the illness concepts of patients with schizophrenic disorders (n = 40). Methods Two German scales were used, the "Causal Belief Questionnaire" and the "Illness Concept Scale for Schizophrenic Patients". We compared our data with data published previously. A semi structured interview was performed in a convenience sample (n = 7). Results The domains "trust in medication" and "trust in the treating physician" yielded high scores, yet in comparison with data published 30 years ago, trust in medication is unaltered, while trust in psychiatrists is even slightly lower. Recent psychosocial factors scored high as a possible cause of mental illness. Several patients felt responsible for being mentally ill. No patient in the interview mentioned the neurotransmitter hypothesis of schizophrenia. Conclusion Illness concepts of patients with schizophrenic disorders are a complex phenomenon. Triangulation of quantitative and qualitative methods proves to be a promising approach for future studies.