Working with Families Affected by Mental Distress: Stakeholders' Perceptions of Mental Health Nurses Educational Needs

Abstract

AcknowledgementsThis project has been funded with support from the European Commission/ Life-long learning programme. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use, which may be made of the information contained therein. 2 AbstractFamily and informal caregivers provide a substantial amount of care and support to people who experience mental health problems. The aim of this study was to explore mental health nurses', students' and service users' perceptions of the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are required by mental health nurses to work with families and carers using a qualitative methodology. Three themes emerged from the data: Knowledge of the family and how mental distress affects the family; Working with the family -support and education and Valuing the role of the family. The three themes demonstrate the complexity of preparing mental health nurses to work with families and carers and the paper offers recommendations about how this might be achieved.

Factors Associated With Primary Family Caregivers’ Perceptions on Quality of Family‐Centered Care in Mental Health Practice

“…This is one of few studies to examine factors influencing quality of FCC perceived by primary family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Findings of our study extend previous work on families’ and MHNs’ experiences of engagement around care planning within mental health services (Doody et al, ; Keogh et al, ; Wong, ). Findings from this study revealed that supportive attitudes of MHNs toward schizophrenia and chronic rehabilitation psychiatric wards where patients received care were key determinants of greater primary family caregivers’ perceptions of quality of FCC in relation to enabling and partnerships, provision of general and specific information, coordinated and comprehensive care, and respectful and supportive care.…”

“…Family members generally perceived that they are blamed and alienated from the caring context without appreciation of their caretaking roles by mental healthcare providers (Cree et al, ; Eassom, Giacco, Dirik, & Priebe, ). Family engagement in care planning is fraught with issues of healthcare providers’ inadequate family nursing knowledge and skills and ethical dilemmas around confidentiality (Doody et al, ; Keogh et al, ; Skärsäter et al, ). Approximately one in three family caregivers in the study by Vermeulen et al () felt dissatisfied with the support they received from MHNs.…”

Importance of families in care of individuals with mental disorders: nurses' attitudes

“…Many of the people who experience mental disorders are supported by the family. [1][2][3][4] Members of a family provide a substantial quantity of care, 1,5,6 and the involvement of family members in the assistance of persons with a mental disorder is clinically relevant, because it improves the quality of the health care. 7 Know the links and the social support networks, namely the family, are facilitation strategies enlarger of mental health actions, thus, the family should be understood as a partner in facing and experiencing the mental disorder.…”

“…On the other hand, there was an understanding that the family was in its own essential a disease generator. 2 The paradigm change in the mental health care intended for community states that a greater emphasis should be placed on the family's involvement, 5 and this family should be considered as an indispensable social actor for care effectiveness. 2,[8][9][10] The last reform of primary healthcare in Portugal (equivalent to Primary Health Care in Brazil) had formal beginning in 2005, integrating different types of units, namely: the PHU (Public Health Unit) which works as observatory on health of the geographical area in which it is integrated; the SARU (Shared Assistance Resource Units) that integrate social workers, psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, among others, and which provides assistance services to all other functional units; the CCU (Community Care Units) that provides health care and psychological and social support, in the scope of the domicile and the community; the HPCT (Home Palliative Care Teams) provides care to patients, who need them, in their home, such as, support their relatives and caregivers.…”

“…1,12 There is still a tension between the members of the family and the health services providers, and the family may be subject to negative stereotypes, which can lead to discrimination, feelings of shame and of being considered blamed for the relative's mental health problems. 5 The stigma experience is also associated with an increased burden to the relative of the individual with mental disorder, and the relatives perceive that they are not recognized or appreciated for the role that they play to support their family members affected by the mental disorder. 1 The importance of positive attitudes towards the work with the family becomes obvious when we recognize that families are seeking a meaning in a similar way to persons who experience their own suffering.…”