“I screamed for help”: A single case study of one sister’s experiences with formal psychiatric care when her brother became mentally ill

Abstract

Studies have shown that the quality of the relationship between siblings has great significance for the mentally ill sibling's overall quality of life. Sibling relationships may be particularly important because few adults with severe mental illness have children. As parents grow older, adult children are expected to support their sibling with mental illness when their parents are no longer able to do so. The sibling relationship has the potential to be one of the most significant relationships for adults with schizophrenia. The aim of this paper is to present a case study of a sister's experiences and needs in her contact with psychiatric care. This single case study was designed and the informant was recruited because of her value in maximizing what we can learn about being a sibling to a person with mental illness. Data were collected through four in-depth, semi-structured, repeated interviews during a two-year period, and were interpreted and analyzed through content analysis. Three major topics were discussed: 1) Anna's brother's time with formal psychiatric care; 2) Anna's feelings and emotions; and 3) Anna's view of her contact with psychiatric care. The findings indicated a sibling's need for attention, support, and understanding from the formal caregivers. Participation in our study was one of the first opportunities she had to talk about her relationship with formal psychiatric care. An open dialogue may help siblings to manage their situations.

Patient Involvement During a Pathway of Home-Based Reablement for Older Persons: A Longitudinal Single-Case Study

“…Naturalistic inquiry, which provides a methodological underpinning for this study, is grounded in the belief that knowledge can be developed inductively via methods that are emergent and flexible when new information emerges through obtained data. 29,30…”

The Positive and Negative Experiences of Caregiving for Siblings of Young People with First Episode Psychosis

“…As a result, the quality of the relationship deteriorates and the positive contributions it can make to both individuals are lost (Barak and Solomon, 2005; Smith and Greenberg, 2008; Felton, 2014). Over 80% of participants in this research are female siblings (Titelman and Psyk, 1991; Gerace et al, 1993; Lively et al, 1994; Lukens et al, 2004; Barak and Solomon, 2005; Patterson et al, 2005; Barnable et al, 2006; Smith and Greenberg, 2008; Lobban and Barrowclough, 2009; Ewertzon et al, 2012; Sjoblom et al, 2013; Felton, 2014). …”

“…Research with siblings of individuals with long term psychotic illness identifies commonly occurring issues such as stigma, fear, guilt, grief, changed life goals, changed relationships, worry about the future, objective and subjective burden of care ( Titelman and Psyk, 1991 ; Gerace et al, 1993 ; Lively et al, 1994 ; Lukens et al, 2004 ; Barak and Solomon, 2005 ; Patterson et al, 2005 ; Barnable et al, 2006 ; Friedrich et al, 2008 ; Smith and Greenberg, 2008 ; Lobban and Barrowclough, 2009 ; Ewertzon et al, 2012 ; Sjoblom et al, 2013 ; Felton, 2014 ). These experiences result in a decreased quality of life ( Smith and Greenberg, 2008 ).…”