REFRAMING SCHIZOPHRENIA: FROM DIAGNOSTIC CATEGORIES TO RECOVERY-ORIENTED UNDERSTANDING

Abstract

Schizophrenia has long been conceptualized as a chronic and deteriorating psychiatric disorder defined primarily by hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. However, emerging empirical evidence and lived-experience perspectives increasingly challenge this deficit-oriented framework. Contemporary research demonstrates substantial heterogeneity in symptom trajectories and functional outcomes, with many individuals achieving remission and meaningful social participation. This paper critically examines three central debates in the conceptualization of schizophrenia: categorical versus dimensional diagnostic models, neurobiological versus psychosocial explanatory frameworks, and symptom-focused versus recovery-oriented treatment outcomes. Evidence from genetic, neurodevelopmental, and epidemiological studies supports a continuum model of psychosis, while psychosocial research underscores the role of trauma, adversity, and stigma in shaping illness course. The analysis argues for an integrative biopsychosocial and recovery-oriented framework that prioritizes functional outcomes, autonomy, and lived experience alongside biological understanding, offering a more nuanced and person-centered reconceptualization of schizophrenia.