A bittersweet relationship: What does it mean to be the caregiver of a patient with bipolar disorder?

Vargas-Huicochea, Ingrid; Berenzon, Shoshana; Rascón, María Luisa; Ramos, Luciana

doi:10.1177/0020764018758124

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Whilst there is some international research [ 12 – 14 ] on the caring experience for BD, there is limited research in the Australian context. A British qualitative study that interviewed carers, service providers and people with BD found that to increase carer inclusion in decision-making and care for people with BD, there needs to be changes to healthcare operational frameworks and policy agendas [ 12 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Through interviews with carers and therapists, Kargar et al [ 13 ] found that carer burden severity varies and is impacted by individual, social and organisational factors. Additionally, a qualitative study with informal carers conducted in Mexico [ 14 ] found that carer burden included: financial status, relationships, relapse anxiety, depressive symptoms and for immediate family members, a fear of developing BD themselves. Together, this indicates a greater need for research to consider more specific condition-focused carer supports and experiences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The lived experience of caring for someone with bipolar disorder: A qualitative study

2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Being a close family or friend of someone with bipolar disorder (BD) can lead to experiences of increased stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms related to the burden of caring. However, the lived experience of being a carer for a person with BD has not received significant research attention. This study aimed to gain further insight into the experiences of individuals in an informal caring role for someone with BD and determine what additional information and support these people need to take care of both themselves and the person they are caring for. Fifteen qualitative interviews were carried out with carers discussing their lived experiences with utilising coping strategies and supporting someone with BD. Following the interviews, thematic analysis was used to identify five key themes. These themes were: Separation of the person and the disorder, carer health and coping strategies, unpredictability and variability of symptoms, carer disillusionment and silencing, and story sharing and support needs. Overall, the findings highlighted the need for increased in-person and online support specifically tailored for carers with loved ones experiencing BD.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The lived experience of caring for someone with bipolar disorder: A qualitative study

2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A growing number of studies have compared how different SMIs affect caregiving, particularly for caregivers of those with bipolar disorder [ 32 – 34 ]. Bipolar disorder contrasts from schizophrenia spectrum disorders as it is characterized by symptoms that reflect significant shifts an individual’s energy, mood and activity [ 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic review comparing caregiver burden and psychological functioning in caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and bipolar disorders

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Informal primary caregivers provide crucial supports to loved ones experiencing serious mental illnesses with profound outcomes for the caregivers themselves. A comprehensive understanding of how different serious mental illnesses change the caregiving experience may provide important insight into the ways in which caregivers can be better supported in their role. The aim of this review was to synthesize the comparative literature examining caregiver burden and psychological functioning (anxiety, depression, distress, and psychological wellbeing) between caregivers of people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and bipolar disorder. Methods Studies were included if they compared caregivers across both diagnostic groups and used measures assessing either caregiver burden or psychological functioning of caregivers. Databases searched up until 11th of January 2022 included: Medline COMPLETE, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Reference list scans and grey literature searches across government, organisational and dissertation databases were also conducted. Results Twenty-eight studies comprising 6166 caregivers were included. Fourteen studies suggested that caregiving burden was comparable across both groups. The effects of caring on caregiver mental health and stress were comparable across both groups. However, methodological limitations were noted, including a reliance on cross-sectional studies, multiple and sometimes competing definitions of caregiving burden, variable sample sizes, and variation in measures used. Conclusion and implications The experience of providing care is multidimensional and complex. Symptoms and functional difficulties experienced by people being cared for may affect caregivers more so than diagnosis. Caregivers play a vital role in helping people with serious mental illness. Supporting caregivers by reducing their burden and improving their psychological functioning may help them to continue to provide support, and cope with, the challenges of providing care.

show abstract

“…Some studies have been carried out with IPCs of psychiatric patients, in order to analyze the subjective experience and perceptions of these actors in the mental health illness process (24)(25)(26)(27), and it is striking that, particularly when the caregivers are mothers, in addition to the burden of caring for the sick person, the data that stand out the most are both the concern for the future of the patient and the difficulty they themselves have with regard to the sadness and pain of seeing that their children are ill (28). Because of the importance of the involvement of these individuals with the patient, the aim of this research was to study a previously unexplored space of the perception of caregivers of young adult students with MDD, specifically in Mexico City.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suffering Depression: Illness Perception of Informal Primary Caregivers of Medical Students With Major Depressive Disorder

Robelo-Zarza

Vargas-Huicochea

Kelsall

et al. 2020

Journal of Patient Experience

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

When a family member has depression at a level that generates disability in various functional spheres, the informal primary caregiver (IPC) is the individual who provides the majority of emotional and basic needs of the patient. This person is usually a relative and is extremely important in the health-disease-care process. This phenomenological qualitative study aimed to analyze the illness perception, in IPCs of undergraduate medical students previously diagnosed with mild depression. It was found that IPCs generate perceptions about depression based on a lack of knowledge of the disorder, which leads to feelings of sorrow, anger, frustration, and fear, that could interfere with the evolution of patients. Psychiatric disorders, such as depression, strongly impact both patients and people around them. For mental health professionals, in order to provide a more complete clinical approach, it is important to understand the illness perceptions not only of patients but of family IPCs as well.

show abstract

A bittersweet relationship: What does it mean to be the caregiver of a patient with bipolar disorder?

Cited by 7 publications

References 25 publications

The lived experience of caring for someone with bipolar disorder: A qualitative study

The lived experience of caring for someone with bipolar disorder: A qualitative study

A systematic review comparing caregiver burden and psychological functioning in caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and bipolar disorders

Suffering Depression: Illness Perception of Informal Primary Caregivers of Medical Students With Major Depressive Disorder

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About