Support Needs of Family Caregivers of People who Experience Mental Illness and the Role of Mental Health Services

Shankar, Janki; Muthuswamy, Senthil Sonai

doi:10.1606/1044-3894.3628

Cited by 59 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Carers wanted to be followed up by professionals about how they were coping after witnessing a crisis and help linking them with appropriate support relevant to crisis management. This was consistent with Shankar and Muthuswamy's (2007) finding that carers wanted access to a carer crisis service that provided post-crisis support. Similarly, in Jeon and Madjar's (1998) study, carers stated that when professionals understood their experience, they felt supported and encouraged to continue their caring role.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Collaboration in crisis: Carer perspectives on police and mental health professional's responses to mental health crises

Brennan

Warren

Петерсон

et al. 2016

Int J Mental Health Nurs

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For many situations involving a mental health crisis, carers (e.g. family or friends) are present and either attempt to help the person overcome the crisis or request assistance from professional services (e.g. mental health or police). Comparatively, little research has explored how carers experience the crisis, the professional response and how the nature of the response, in turn, impacts carers. The current study was conducted to explore these issues during individual interviews with nine carers who had previous contact with police and mental health services during a crisis response. Collected data described the definition and perceived impact of a mental health crisis for carers, how carers had experienced a crisis response from police and mental health services, and how the professional response had impacted on carers. Of importance was the finding that carers were often themselves traumatized by witnessing or being involved in the crisis, however, were rarely offered direct education or support to help them cope or prevent future crises. A number of carers described a reluctance to request assistance from professional services due to previous poor experiences. This highlighted the importance of implementing strategies to deliver more timely, respectful, specialist and collaborative crisis responses to improve carer and consumer outcomes.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Collaboration in crisis: Carer perspectives on police and mental health professional's responses to mental health crises

Brennan

Warren

Петерсон

et al. 2016

Int J Mental Health Nurs

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“…Carers often feel powerless as their voice was not heard in the care process. Carers also felt HCPs used the issue of confidentiality and privacy as a way of excluding them from the care of their relatives (Shankar & Muthuswamy, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Not sick enough: Experiences of carers of people with mental illness negotiating care for their relatives with mental health services

Olasoji

Maude

McCauley

2017

Psychiatric Ment Health Nurs

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Aim The literature reporting experiences of relatives of people with mental illness regarding their interactions with mental health services identifies many commonalities. However, the actual experience of carers engaging the services and understanding healthcare systems remains a gap in the literature. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of carers (of people with a severe mental illness) in a major area mental health service in Victoria Australia as they fulfil their caring role while negotiating support for their relative. A carer is defined as a family member or significant other who is the primary individual who provides informal care for a person with severe mental illness and may or may not be in receipt of income supplement for such a role. Specifically this study has a focus on the experience of the carer when negotiating care needs or admission with a mental health service. Method A qualitative descriptive approach was used with five focus groups as a means of data collection. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from both the hospital and universities ethics committees. Results Key themes identified using thematic analysis are presented in the words of the carers and include: "Juggling" between services; We became assertive and If only they would listen. Often carers were advocating for their relative and needing to negotiate between services (police and crisis assessment teams) to gain any form of assessment or intervention. Carers often spent a great deal of time on the phone to services only to be told that their relative was "not sick enough" to access care or that no response would occur without another service also being involved. Discussion Our research highlights the importance of working collaboratively with informal carers and acknowledging their valuable contribution to the care of their relatives with a severe mental illness. It is very important that adequate support is given to carers especially during the period when their relatives are experiencing a crisis. An understanding of their experiences ensures a more family focused approach towards care. The study findings should enable the healthcare team to focus attention on the issues which are most pertinent to carers. Nurses are advocates not only for the patient but also for their families. Relevance statement Carers supporting a person who experiences mental illness can often find themselves in difficult and emotionally challenging situations such as at times of crisis and admission to mental health services. The fourth and latest Australian National Mental Health Plan (2009-2014) acknowledged these concerns and highlighted the need to recognize the role of carers in promoting well-being and recovery of the relative with a mental illness. The plan acknowledges that families are often best placed to recognize signs of relapse in their family members with a mental illness and discharge planning should include the involvement of family members (Commonwealth of Australia, ). To achieve best care outcomes for consumer...

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“…Present studies conducted on needs of informal caregivers report on the ongoing home-situation (Hileman et al, 1992;Shankar and Muthuswamy, 2007;Ventura et al, 2013), or institutional settings (Verhaeghe et al, 2005;Henriksson et al, 2011). Present studies conducted on needs of informal caregivers report on the ongoing home-situation (Hileman et al, 1992;Shankar and Muthuswamy, 2007;Ventura et al, 2013), or institutional settings (Verhaeghe et al, 2005;Henriksson et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Needs of informal caregivers during transition from home towards institutional care in dementia: a systematic review of qualitative studies

Afram

Verbeek

Bleijlevens

et al. 2014

Int. Psychogeriatr.

111

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The care-transition period should be considered a continuum, as similar needs and problems were identified prior and after admission. This should be kept in mind in developing support and guidance for informal caregivers during this process. Whereas currently the situation prior and post admission are seen and treated as adjacent stages, they should be considered one integrated stage. Multicomponent programmes should be offered that are designed in a continuous way, starting prior to admission, and continuing after.

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Support Needs of Family Caregivers of People who Experience Mental Illness and the Role of Mental Health Services

Cited by 59 publications

References 15 publications

Collaboration in crisis: Carer perspectives on police and mental health professional's responses to mental health crises

Collaboration in crisis: Carer perspectives on police and mental health professional's responses to mental health crises

Not sick enough: Experiences of carers of people with mental illness negotiating care for their relatives with mental health services

Needs of informal caregivers during transition from home towards institutional care in dementia: a systematic review of qualitative studies

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