Relatives of persons with severe mental illness face a straining life situation and need support. Exclusion of relatives in mental health care has long been reported. The aim of this study was to describe conceptions of nurses in mental health care about supporting relatives of persons with severe mental illness. Focus group interviews with nurses from all levels of mental health care in Norway were performed. A phenomenographic approach was used. The nurses found that their responsibility first and foremost was the patient, especially to develop an alliance with him or her. Additional premises for supporting relatives were the context framing the nursing care, aspects of the actors, and relational concerns between them. Competing or contradictory demands were found within these premises. Two paths were identified concerning the nurses' support of relatives: seeing the relative in the shadow of the patient or as an individual person.
Relatives of persons with severe mental illness experience burden and straining changes in their lives that put their health at risk. Consequently, they need support from health professionals. The aim of this study was to describe experiences from encounters with mental health services as seen from the point of view of relatives of persons with severe mental illness. A qualitative, explorative study was performed, based on two open-ended questions in a cross-sectional study of relatives' health, burden, and sense of coherence (n = 216). A manifest qualitative content analysis was used to describe the relatives' experiences. The findings show that some relatives had experienced positive encounters with health personnel, but the majority of experiences reported were negative. The encounters can be summarized into one main category: "Left Alone with Straining but Inescapable Responsibilities." Two categories emerged: "Striving for Involvement for the Sake of the Mentally Ill Person," and "Wanting Inclusion for the Sake of Oneself." There is a gap between relatives' needs for support in order to handle their own situation in relation to their mentally ill next of kin, and what they actually receive from the mental health services. The findings suggest that health professionals should collaborate with and support these relatives.
This study describes and investigates burden to and health of relatives of persons with severe mental illness in relation to background variables, everyday life with the mentally ill person, and sense of coherence. A cross-sectional design was used. The respondents were 226 relatives from the Norwegian National Association for Families of Mentally Ill Persons. In addition to background variables and variables about everyday life with the mentally ill person, the questionnaire was comprised of the Burden Assessment Schedule (BAS), Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and Sense of Coherence Instrument (SOC). This study shows that the relatives were burdened and also reported poor health. Greater burden was experienced by women and by relatives who did not have anyone with whom to share the caregiving of the mentally ill person. For relatives who were single, divorced, or widowed, burden was greater and health was poorer; likewise for relatives who reported financial problems and frequent phone calls with the mentally ill person. Burden and poor health were associated with low SOC. The findings suggest a need for the health services to include and support these relatives in order for them to sustain health.
Relatives of those suffering from severe mental illness experience multiple challenges and a complex life situation. The aim of this study was to describe life-sharing experiences from the perspective of relatives of someone with severe mental illness. A qualitative, descriptive study was performed, and interviews were carried out with eighteen relatives of persons with severe mental illness. A phenomenographic analysis, according to the steps described by Dahlgren and Fallsberg, was used to describe the relatives' conceptions of their situation. The findings show that the experiences of these relatives can be summarized in one main category: 'The art of balancing between multiple concerns'. Two descriptive categories emerged: 'Making choices on behalf of others and oneself' and 'Constantly struggling between opposing feelings and between reflections'. Relatives report that they have to manoeuvre between different ways to act and to prioritize between different wishes and needs. In addition, they face a wide range of strong feelings and they search for hope and meaning. Relatives of someone with severe mental illness have to balance multiple concerns, which induce ethical dilemmas. They felt love, compassion or sense of duty towards the mentally ill person. The changeable situation made it difficult for the relatives to establish a balance in their lives. To be able to prioritize some private time was important. Relatives need own support and sufficient follow-up of the mentally ill next of kin from the mental health services.
In order for adolescents to learn about sex and relationships, the education must be of significance and meet their needs and interests. The study investigated adolescents' conceptions of learning and education about sex and relationships. A phenomenographic approach was used. Six focus group interviews were conducted with adolescents ages 18-19 in Sweden. The results showed that stable ground for learning implies select issues of importance, that is, values and prejudices, up-to-date knowledge, and practical skills. These issues should be dispersed throughout the school years in relation to the students' own maturity. This seemed to enable internalization of different aspects of sex and relationships. Learning about sex and relationships can create meaning for youth and generate progress by fostering autonomy and identity, correcting misconceptions, counteract prejudices, not in isolation rather in society in a defined culture.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.