Schizophrenia as mental illness is defined in terms of diagnostic criteria which do not include the full range of psychosocial difficulties that shape the lived experience of persons with this diagnosis and affect their quality of life. The biopsychosocial approach found in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health--ICF seems to be promising solution. The psychosocial difficulties (PSDs), as defined in it, are impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. Impairments and activity limitations are components of a person's health state. Participation restrictions go beyond the health state--they are restrictions in a person's functioning in his or her actual environment. Quality of life, on the other hand, is the subjective appraisal of impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. In the most recent systematic literature review the most relevant PSDs associated with schizophrenia are: cognitive functions and emotional functions, relationships with others, employment, participating in social activities. The themes from the patients' narratives indicate the same ones. The effective mental health services provision, as well as implementation of adequate social interventions should help users to overcome these difficulties. The idea of the training which focuses on common understanding regarding psychosocial difficulties as barriers to social inclusion, and guidance for future research seems to be obligatory in postgraduate curricula for mental health providers. [For complete volume, see ED567118.]