Supporting families where one person suffers from long-term severe mental illness (SMI) is essential, but seems hard to reach. The aim of this study was to examine professionals’ views of supporting relatives of persons with SMI.
Material:
Individual interviews mirroring personal narratives and group interviews reflecting group-processed answers were conducted among 23 professionals and analyzed thematically.
Results:
Three themes emerged: (a) information and group interaction reduces stigma and increases well-being, (b) professionals need to feel secure and confident about how the support structure works and (c) collaboration is difficult but required on several levels.
Conclusion:
Trusting relationships with families were considered important, although seldom achieved; professionals wished to feel secure in their role toward relatives of a person with SMI; and professionals wanted to feel confident when working together with other services to support families.
AndvigE.SyseJ.SeverinssonE. (2014). Interprofessional collaboration in the mental health services in Norway. Nursing Research and Practice, 2014, Article 849375. doi:10.1155/2014/849375
2.
AwadA. G.VorugantiL. N. P. (2008). The burden of schizophrenia on caregivers: A review. PharmacoEconomics, 26, 149–162.
3.
BademliK.CetinkayaDuman Z. (2014). Effects of a family-to-family support program on the mental and health coping strategies of caregivers of adults with mental illness: A randomized controlled study. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 28, 392–398. doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2014.08.011
4.
BerglundN.VahlneJ. O.EdmanÅ. (2003). Family intervention in schizophrenia: Impact on family burden and attitude. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 38, 116–121. doi:10.1007/s00127-003-0615-6
5.
BraunV.ClarkeV. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
6.
Caqueo-UrízarA.Gutiérrez-MaldonadoJ.Miranda-CastilloC. (2009). Quality of life in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia: A literature review. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 7, Article 84. doi:10.1186/1477-7525-7-84
7.
Caqueo-UrízarA.Miranda-CastilloC.Lemos GiráldezS.Lee MaturanaS.-L.Ramírez PérezM.Mascayano TapiaF. (2014). An updated review on burden on caregivers of schizophrenia patients. Psicothema, 26, 235–243. doi:10.7334/psicothema2013.86
8.
ChienW. T.ChanS. W. C.MorrisseyJ. (2007). The perceived burden among Chinese family caregivers of people with schizophrenia. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 16, 1151–1161. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2007.01501.x
9.
ChienW. T.NormanI. (2009). The effectiveness and active ingredients of mutual support groups for family caregivers of people with psychotic disorders: A literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 46, 1604–1623. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.04.003
10.
CohenA. N.GlynnS. M.HamiltonA. B.YoungA. S. (2010). Implementation of a family intervention for individuals with schizophrenia. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 25, 32–37. doi:10.1007/s11606-009-1136-0
11.
CohenA. N.GlynnS. M.Murray-SwankA. B.BarrioC.FischerE. P.McCutcheonS. J.… DixonL. B. (2008). The family forum: Directions for the implementation of family psychoeducation for severe mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 59, 40–48. doi:10.1176/ps.2008.59.1.40
12.
DixonL.AdamsC.LuckstedA. (2000). Update on family psychoeducation for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 26, 5–20. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a033446
13.
EassomE.GiaccoD.DirikA.PriebeS. (2014). Implementing family involvement in the treatment of patients with psychosis: A systematic review of facilitating and hindering factors. BMJ Open, 4, Article e006108. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006108
14.
GlanvilleD. N.DixonL. (2005). Caregiver burden, family treatment approaches, and service use in families of patients with schizophrenia. Israel Journal of Psychiatry, 42, 15–22.
15.
HjärthagF.HelldinL.KarilampiU.NorlanderT. (2010). Illness-related components for the family burden of relatives to patients with psychotic illness. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 45, 275–283. doi:10.1007/s00127-009-0065-x
16.
IngvarsdotterK.PerssonK.HjärthagF.ÖstmanM. (2016). How professionals view multifamily psychoeducation: A qualitative study. Psychiatric Quarterly, 87, 479–491. doi:10.1007/s11126-015-9401-3
17.
KopelowiczA.ZarateR.WallaceC. J.LibermanR. P.LopezS. R.MintzJ. (2012). The ability of multifamily groups to improve treatment adherence in Mexican Americans with schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 69, 265–273. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.135
18.
LibermanR. P.WallaceC. J.BlackwellG.EckmanT. A.VaccaroJ. V.KuehnelT. G. (1993). Innovations in skills training for the seriously mentally ill: The UCLA social and independent living skills modules. Innovations and Research, 2, 43–59.
19.
MacleodS. H.ElliotL.BrownR. (2011). What support can community mental health nurses deliver to carers of people diagnosed with schizophrenia? Findings from a review of the literature. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 48, 100–120. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2010.09.005
20.
MarshallT.SolomonP. (2004). Provider contact with families of adults with severe mental illness: Taking a closer look. Family Process, 43, 209–216. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2004.04302006.x
21.
McFarlaneW. R. (2002). Multifamily groups in the treatment of severe psychiatric disorders. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
22.
Möller-LeimkühlerA. M.WiesheuA. (2012). Caregiver burden in chronic mental illness: The role of patient and caregiver characteristics. European Archives of Psychiatry & Clinical Neuroscience, 262, 157–166. doi:10.1007/s00406-011-0215-5
23.
ÖstmanM.BjörkmanT. (2015). Psychosocial treatment interventions for people with severe mental illness living in a community. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 19, 96–105.
24.
ÖstmanM.WallstenT.KjellinL. (2005). Family burden and relatives’ participation in psychiatric care: Are the patient’s diagnosis and the relation to the patient of importance?International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 51, 291–301. doi:10.1177/0020764005057395
25.
PharoahF.MariJ.RathboneJ.WongW. (2010). Family intervention for schizophrenia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 12, CD000088. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000088.pub3
26.
PharoahF.RathboneJ.MariJ.StreinerD. (2003). Family intervention for schizophrenia (Cochrane review). In Cochrane library, issue 4. Chichester, UK: John Wiley.
27.
ResnickS. G.RosenheckR. A.DixonL.LehmanA. F. (2005). Correlates of family contact with the mental health system: Allocation of a scarce resource. Mental Health Services Research, 7, 113–121. doi:10.1007/s11020-005-3782-0
28.
RiebschlegerJ.ScheidJ.LuzC.MickusM.LiszewskiC.EatonM. (2008). How are the experiences and needs of families of individuals with mental illness reflected in medical education guidelines?Academic Psychiatry, 32, 119–126. doi:10.1176/appi.ap.32.2.119
29.
Rummel-KlugeC.Pitschel-WalzG.BäumlJ.KisslingW. (2006). Psychoeducation in schizophrenia: Results of a survey of all psychiatric institutions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 32, 765–775. doi:10.1093/schbul/sbl006
30.
Socialstyrelsen. (2011). Nationella riktlinjer för psykosociala insatser vid schizofreni eller schizofreniliknande tillstånd 2011–stöd för styrning och ledning [National guidelines for psychosocial interventions for schizophrenia or schizophrenia-type conditions]. Stockholm, Sweden: National Board of Health and Welfare.
31.
YehL. L.HwuH. G.ChenC. H.ChenC. H.WuA. C. (2008). Factors related to perceived needs of primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Journal of Formosan Medical Association, 107, 644–652. doi:10.1016/S0929-6646(08)60182-5
