Abstract:

Objective To describe the relapse fear experience of young and middle-aged patients with schizophrenia in the remission period，and to provide certain references for formulating intervention plans to alleviate relapse fear in this population. Methods A descriptive qualitative study was conducted. The purposive sampling method was used to recruit young and middle-aged patients with schizophrenia in remission from three communities in Beijing as the research participants. From April to May 2024，face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with the respondents，and the data were analyzed by content analysis. Results A total of 15 interviewees were interviewed. Through analyzing，three themes and nine sub-themes were extracted，namely，the coexistence of psychological distress and physical suffering in patients（fear of losing control，fear of detachment from reality，worry about discrimination and stigma，breeding psychological gap，and suffering physical pain），conflicts in intimate relationships and isolated experiences of family support（obstacles in establishing intimate relationships and lack of family support）. Helplessness and survival anxiety in the resource predicament（worrying about economic pressure and the predicament of independent survival）. Conclusion Young and middle-aged patients with schizophrenia in remission period often experience relapse anxiety due to physical distress，altered emotional relationships，and financial burdens. Clinical practitioners and society should actively promote positive public awareness of mental illness while providing psychological counseling and social support. Concurrently，strengthening family support systems is crucial to help improve their quality of life.

Key words: Community Health Nursing, Young and Middle-Aged Adults, Schizophrenia, Relapse Fear, Qualitative Research