Paper
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Families Caring for Members With Mental Illness: Creating a Better World
Ruth Schofield, RN, MSc(T), Faculty of Health Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, Catherine Ward-Griffin, RN, PhD, School of Nursing, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada, Robin Coatsworth-Puspoky, RN, MScN, Regional Mental Health Care, London, London, ON, Canada, and Sandra Vos, RN, MScN, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
| Learning Objective #1: Develop an understanding of families' perspectives of creating a better world when caring for a family member with mental illness |
| Learning Objective #2: Examine practices, policy, and research implications to support and strengthen families caring for a member with mental illness |
The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore the perspectives of individuals who were caring for a family member with a mental illness, with particular attention to housing, quality of supports and formal care services. Eleven focus groups with family caregivers (n=75) were conducted and analyzed using thematic analyses. Study findings revealed a “circle of care”, one in which family members supported the independence of the individual with mental illness, while attempting to protect their family member with mental illness. Interestingly, findings suggested that this circle of care contributed to a “vicious cycle” of caregiving, mainly due to inadequate system supports for both the individual with mental illness and his/her family caregiver. Three major themes were identified within this cycle of caregiving: “witnessing inadequacies”, “working behind the scenes” and “creating a better world”. This paper will focus on the contextual factors of “creating a better world”, such as national legislation, availability of resources, and sensitivity to mental illness, all of which shaped the experiences of participants caring for family members with mental illness. Implications for nursing practice, research and policy will also be discussed.