Introduction: Older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia are a vulnerable population owing to the manifestations of their illness, which can include decreased reality orientation, paranoia, hallucinations and delusions. This paper presents ethical principles of vulnerability, veracity, non-maleficence and autonomy for person-centered care in mental health nursing research and practice, focused with the lens of Elder's life course theory (LCT).
Aim: To present Elder's LCT as an ethical lens for person-centered care as nurses engage with older adults aging with the diagnosis of schizophrenia in clinical practice and/or research.
Method: Four ethical principles fundamental to nursing research and mental health practice are presented, with Elder's LCT as a theoretical lens for person-centered care.
Results: A model for ethical research and mental health practice with older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Discussion: Nursing research and mental health nursing practice with an ethical LCT lens for person-centered can help nurses envision, explore and generate interventions to address the special needs of older adults aging with schizophrenia.
Implications for practice: The use of a LCT lens for person-centered care can encourage nurses in research and mental health practice to seek information collaboratively with older adults diagnosed with schizophrenia in a thoughtful, ethical manner, to inform the improvement of their health outcomes and health policy.
Keywords: clinical research; ethics; nursing theory; older adult; schizophrenia.
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