Navigating a fragmented lifeworld: a phenomenological study of schizophrenia among China's Z Generation.
Ya-Jing Tang, Lei Yang, Wen-Hao Wang, Chen Zhu, Chuan Shi
BMC Psychiatry June 3, 2026 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-026-08223-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Descriptive phenomenological study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 4 |
| Population | Chinese Z-generation females diagnosed with schizophrenia |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Lived experience Psychopathology Schizophrenia Z-generation |
| Key points | The essential structure of the lived experience of schizophrenia among Chinese Z-generation individuals is navigating a fragmented lifeworld through dialectical negotiation to reconstruct coherence and agency. |
Abstract
The subjective lived experience of schizophrenia among China's Z Generation (born 1995-2009) remains understudied. This population navigates a unique socio-cultural context, making their personal narratives crucial for developing effective, person-centered mental health interventions. We employed a descriptive phenomenological approach, conducting in-depth interviews with four Chinese Z-generation females diagnosed with schizophrenia. A multidisciplinary team analyzed the data to elucidate the essential structure of their lived experience. The essential structure of the lived experience of schizophrenia among Chinese Z-generation individuals is "navigating a fragmented lifeworld through dialectical negotiation to reconstruct coherence and agency." This structure manifested through five interrelated themes: (1) rupture of taken-for-granted reality involving perceptual alterations and loss of control; (2) dialogical encounters with the medical gaze balancing validation and alienation; (3) embodied negotiations with pharmacological treatment mediating bodily alienation and functionality; (4) intersubjective navigation of stigma through strategic disclosure and concealment; and (5) temporal projection through future-oriented life reconstruction. Participants demonstrated remarkable agency as meaning-makers, actively constructing "digital enclaves" for support, employing "cultural polyphony" to integrate diverse explanatory frameworks, and drawing upon Chinese cultural scripts for self-reconstruction. Recovery in schizophrenia should be reconceptualized as actively rebuilding a lifeworld through dialectical negotiation. Clinical practice must evolve from symptom management toward supporting patients' narrative coherence, while valuing their digital practices and cultural resources. This underscores the need for culturally sensitive, responsive, and collaborative mental health support systems.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative thematic analysis of the phenomenology of near-death experiences Cardiac arrest survivors | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 34 |
| Phenomenology and Sequelae of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Use Psychiatrists who had taken MDMA | 1992 | Qualitative study | n = 20 |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Evoking the ineffable: The phenomenology of extreme sports. Extreme sports participants across three continents, including BASE jumping, big wave... | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 15 |
| Phenomenology and content of the inhaled N, N-dimethyltryptamine (N, N-DMT) experience. Naturalistic inhaled N,N-DMT experiences posted to the r/DMT Reddit community | 2022 | Qualitative analysis | n = 3,778 |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- The lived experience of psychosis: a bottom-up review co-written by experts by experience and academics. World Psychiatry June 1, 2022
- Double bookkeeping and schizophrenia spectrum: divided unified phenomenal consciousness. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience December 1, 2021
- Subjective experience and meaning of delusions in psychosis: a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis. The Lancet Psychiatry May 1, 2022