| Learning Objective #1: Understand the challenges faced by families caring for depressed/suicidal members at home | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Recognize the need to incorporate the family when providing care for depressed/suicidal patients |
Depression is a serious mental illness that affects many American families each year, carrying with it a risk for suicide. The current managed mental health system has restricted inpatient days allowed for depressed/suicidal patients. They are discharged while still acutely ill, placing their families in the position of managing their care when there is continuing lethality. Objective: The purposes of this study were to examine the impact of caring for a depressed/suicidal family member and to understand the process(es) families use to manage this care. Design: A qualitative design was utilized. Data were collected via audiotaped interviews in the families’ homes. Population, Sample, Setting: Purposeful sampling was employed to recruit 17 family members for primary interviews. Secondary interviews were conducted with three of these families to confirm the initial findings. Method: The Grounded Theory method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) was used for data collection and analysis. Findings: The data provided evidence of a significant impact on these families, which was affected by the amount of time spent with the depressed/suicidal member and the degree of risk for suicide. The data analysis also revealed the basic social process of MAINTAINING VIGILANCE THROUGH MANAGING. A theoretical model emerged that depicts this ongoing, cyclical process by which families manage their depressed/suicidal member at home. Families begin this process at a point of not knowing. They move on to identifying, gaining awareness, then knowing or understanding. This allows them to take action, which is followed by watching/waiting. They then return to gaining awareness armed with new knowledge/understanding. Implications: An important implication for nursing is that these families desperately need to be involved in the care provided. To preserve the integrity of these families, they need support and assistance in developing strategies to assist in the ongoing care of their depressed/suicidal member.
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