Enjoyment Experiences as Described by Persons with Schizophrenia: A Qualitative Study

Csikszentmihalyi's (1990) assertion that persons with schizophrenia do not experience “flow” states provided the impetus for a study exploring the enjoyment experiences of nine persons with schizophrenia. Data were gathered using an audio taped semi-structured interview and analyzed using qualitative methods. Five themes emerged regarding the informants' subjective experiences: excitement, accomplishment, relaxation, social connectedness, and being interested. The first two themes parallel flow states, disputing Csikszentmihalyi's assumption that individuals with schizophrenia are unable to experience flow. The third theme may be a precursor to flow. The remaining two themes are distinct from flow, suggesting that for the informants in this study, enjoyment was a broader construct than flow.