Individuals with schizophrenia may manifest emotion-focused or avoidance coping, such as social withdrawal, which may be maladaptive in various circumstances. Problems, whereas emotion-focused coping attempts to address emotions raised by problems. Research has shown problem-focused coping to be more effective in many circumstances for various populations. Recent research does not support either problem-focused or emotion-focused coping as particularly useful strategies to reduce symptom severity or to improve the quality of life of individuals with schizophrenia. Yet coping can be helpful, and facilitation of adaptive coping with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia is an important part of mental health care in general and of psychiatric nursing in particular. Hence, alternative frameworks of coping have been recently explored in the context of schizophrenia.