Navigating a fragmented lifeworld: a phenomenological study of schizophrenia among China’s Z Generation

BACKGROUND: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSIONS: 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.