Mitigating engulfment: recovering from a first episode of psychosis

1. Schizophrenia, and the challenge of coping with the ongoing stigma of mental illness, profoundly affects an individual's self-concept. 2. Individuals in the early phases of schizophrenia are at risk of becoming engulfed by their illness, such that all aspects of self become defined by the illness. 3. A group intervention enabled individuals to construct a positive self-concept through interacting with others, exploring the meaning of illness, developing an acceptable understanding of the illness, and developing diverse coping strategies.