Being held through pain: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of experiences of receiving a peer support intervention for family members of individuals with mental illness

Reynolds, Deirdre; McMahon, Aisling; McMahon, Jennifer

doi:10.1002/capr.12513

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…The findings of this study also suggest that role adjustment and relationship support are key priorities for this carer group. Consistent with previous research, the findings indicate that carers can benefit from a range of formal and informal supports, such as counselling, information about the care-recipient's illness, social and community engagement, and selfcare activities (Berk et al, 2013;Efthymiou et al, 2017;Racey et al, 2018;Reynolds et al, 2022;van Exel et al, 2008;Visa & Harvey, 2019). These results extend previous research by providing multi-methodology evidence about the support preferences of carers of a person with depressive or anxiety symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Mental Health Carers’ Support Experiences in Australia

Fitzgeraldson,

Cuenca,

Fitzpatrick

2024

Eur. J. Behav. Sci.

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Informal mental health carers play a crucial role in supporting individuals with depression and anxiety. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how to effectively support these carers and promote their well-being. This mixed-method study aimed to explore the support needs of carers of a person with depressive or anxiety symptoms, living in Australia. Sixty-seven carers (female 76 %, median age 48) completed an online survey, and 22 completed semi-structured interviews about their support experiences. Over half of the survey respondents reported high levels of psychological distress on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and 63% reported understanding and adjusting to the caregiving role as the most needed areas of support, as identified on the Caregiver Perspective Questionnaire (CPQ). Through thematic analysis of the interviews, four key themes emerged describing carers’ support experiences and needs: connecting with formal services, responding to the care-recipient, connecting socially, and caring for the self. The analysis also found that time constraints and stigma can be significant support barriers for these carers. This is the first time that a study has investigated the support experiences and needs of carers of a person with depressive or anxiety symptoms, living in Australia. The findings contribute to current literature on mental health carers and offer novel and tangible insights into future research and support opportunities.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Mental Health Carers’ Support Experiences in Australia

Fitzgeraldson,

Cuenca,

Fitzpatrick

2024

Eur. J. Behav. Sci.

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Section: Context and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Caregivers play a critical role in supporting the recovery journey of their loved ones, yet there is limited research examining how to support caregivers' own wellbeing, strength and resilience ( 17 , 19 , 21 ). To date, the majority of work on caregivers' personal recovery has been centered around sharing their “stories” amongst peers ( 21 ). While this approach provides many benefits (e.g., better coping, building resilience, reducing negative feelings by focusing on the positive aspects of their roles), simply sharing experiences does not offer holistic support nor does it effectively address caregivers' needs ( 20 ).…”

Section: Context and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

We-Care-Well: exploring the personal recovery of mental health caregivers through Participatory Action Research

Redublo,

Paul,

Joshi

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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Family caregivers play a critical role in supporting the recovery journeys of their loved ones, yet the recovery journeys of family caregivers have not been well-explored. Using a Participatory Action Research approach, we explore the personal recovery journeys of family caregivers for individuals with mental illness. This case study involved piloting and exploring the impact of a novel online workshop series offered to mental health caregivers at Ontario Shores Center for Mental Health Sciences. Recovery courses and workshops conventionally engage patients living with mental health conditions. In the current case, the recovery model is adapted to the needs and experiences of their family caregivers, resulting in a pilot workshop series called “We Care Well”. Through participant-led discussions, interactive and take-home activities, and experiential learning, caregivers co-created workshop content and engaged in peer-learning on seven personal recovery-oriented topics. This included: self-care, resilience-building, non-violent communication, storytelling, and mental health advocacy. Throughout the sessions, participants implemented their learnings into their caregiving roles, and shared their experiences with the group to progress through their own recovery journeys. The We Care Well series was found to be an effective intervention to adapt and apply the personal recovery framework to mental health caregivers. PAR, and co-design are viable approaches to engage caregivers in mental health research, and can facilitate knowledge exchange, as well as relationship building with peers and program facilitators.

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Being held through pain: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of experiences of receiving a peer support intervention for family members of individuals with mental illness

Cited by 2 publications

References 62 publications

Mental Health Carers’ Support Experiences in Australia

Mental Health Carers’ Support Experiences in Australia

We-Care-Well: exploring the personal recovery of mental health caregivers through Participatory Action Research

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