Voices from Within: Saudi Arabian Women’s Lived Experiences of First-Episode Psychosis, Hospitalisation, and Recovery Pathways
Healthcare July 2, 2026 Asrar Almutairi, Alya Alghamdi, Norah Mohammed Alyahya et al.
Twenty-one Saudi women with psychosis described their experiences from first episode through hospitalization and community living. Religious, cultural, familial, and gender-specific factors shaped their understanding of causes, help-seeking, and recovery. Clinical encounters and nursing care during admission highlighted the need for therapeutic healing spaces. In the community, medication adherence, family dynamics, and the pursuit of recovery through education, employment, and religious practice were central. Participants articulated user-based recovery perspectives—empowerment, shared decision-making, hope—that contrasted with the service-based approaches they received. Culturally specific stressors and pervasive stigma affected every phase of their journey.