Reconstructing Identity After Psychiatric Rehabilitation: A Phenomenological Study of Psychosocial Recovery Among Individuals with Schizophrenia in Indonesia

Psychiatric rehabilitation supports recovery and community reintegration among individuals with schizophrenia, but persistent stigma, impaired social functioning, and disrupted self-identity can hinder psychosocial recovery after rehabilitation, particularly within collectivist socio-cultural environments. This study explored the lived experiences of psychosocial recovery among individuals with schizophrenia following psychiatric rehabilitation in Indonesia. A Husserlian descriptive phenomenological design was used. Twenty individuals with schizophrenia who had completed psychiatric rehabilitation and lived in the community for at least 6 months participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. Participants were recruited purposively from an outpatient psychiatric clinic in Indonesia, and data were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Four interconnected themes emerged: stigma and disrupted social identity; rebuilding the self through adaptive coping and behavioral regulation; relational recovery through family and community acceptance; and reconstructing meaning and future orientation. Psychosocial recovery was experienced as a dynamic and nonlinear process shaped by stigma, emotional regulation, family support, spirituality, social acceptance, and future aspirations. Mental health nurses should strengthen culturally responsive, family-centered, and community-based interventions that support identity reconstruction, social participation, and long-term psychosocial recovery.