Positive Experiences of Psychosis: A Review

Experiences of psychosis, including auditory and visual hallucinations, are pathologized and stigmatized within healthcare settings and societies at large (particularly Anglo-European cultures). Yet, positive experiences of psychosis have been documented in research. The purpose of this article was to conduct a review of positive first-person accounts of psychosis published in two peer-reviewed, English-medium journals: Psychosis and Schizophrenia Bulletin from 1979 to 2022. Our search yielded 14 first-person accounts of positive experiences of psychosis. Occupational therapy practitioners should avoid pathologizing and medicalizing clients’ lived experiences, staying open to potentially positive attributes of those experiences.

Duke Scholars

Author Valerie Fox Orthopaedic Surgery, Occupational Therapy

Author Antoine Bailliard Orthopaedic Surgery, Occupational Therapy