A Study on Life Experience by Persons with Mental illness - Focusing on the Experience after the Onslaught of Mental Illness -

정신장애인의 생애경험에 관한 연구 - 정신질환발병 이후의 경험을 중심으로 -

This study, based on the research on the history of life, aimed to recompose and analyze into what life progressive structure the life experience by the mentally ill, after the onslaught of the disease, developed in a bid to understand the risk progress in the mentally ill's life, and to determine what contributed to the current stabilized recovery and adjustment. Five mentally ill persons participated in the study, and Sch$\ddot{u}$tze's narrative interview was used to gather data. The gathered data were analyzed according to Sch$\ddot{u}$tze's process structure of life. The interviewees' life experiences were chronologically organized as understood, and significant stories were recomposed that not only brought about changes but also helped overcome their disabilities in the process of treatment and rehabilitation after the onslaught of the disease. As a result, their experiences were recomposed into the stage of onslaught of the mental illness and confusion, and into the stage of intensive treatment and rehabilitation. The former was categorized into suppression by the disease, repetition and endurance of the painful life, and separation from their family and frustration. The latter was categorized into the rediscovery of self through social role change, others who helped realize the life potential, the expansion of mental health services in the community, obstacle to the integration of communities, re-integration of family relationships, re-analysis of experience of the disease through the examination of the life prior to onslaught of the disease, and expectation for the future. Also, these themes were comparatively examined so as to examine the crisis progress in the mentally ill's life after the onslaught of the disease, as well as the life transfer process through positive rehabilitation. Lastly, on the basis of these results, important areas of mental health services for the mentally ill were discussed.

본 연구는 정신장애인의 정신질환 발병 이후 생애경험을 '생애사적 진행과정구조'에 주목하여 재구성함으로써 발병이후 위기의 진행과 전환의 과정을 이해하고자 한다. 정신장애인 5명이 연구에 참여했으며, 수집된 자료는 Sch$\ddot{u}$tze의 생애사적 이야기식 인터뷰(narrative interview)분석에 의하여 이루어졌고 위기 상황의 전환을 중심으로 '발병과 혼란단계'와 '집중적 치료 재활단계로' 나누어 재구성하였다. 전자는 '질환에 압도당함, 고통스런 삶의 반복과 감내, 가족으로부터의 분리', 후자는 '정신보건법 제정과 지역사회정신보건서비스의 확대, 사회적 역할변화를 통한 자신의 재발견, 생애사적 잠재성을 깨닫게 해준 중요한 타인, 지역사회통합의 장애물 경험, 가족관계의 재통합, 발병이전의 삶에 대한 고찰을 통한 질병경험의 재해석, 미래에 대한 기대'라는 주제로 분석했다. 그리고 두 단계를 전체적으로 비교분석하였다.