Explanatory models of mental illness among family caregivers of persons in psychiatric rehabilitation services: A pilot study

Abstract

Background: Understanding the explanatory models of family caregivers is particularly important in interdependent contexts like India, where they often play a significant role in the help-seeking behaviours, treatment decision-making and long-term care of those diagnosed with mental illness. Aims: This study was planned to explore the diversity of explanatory models among family caregivers at a centre for recovery-oriented rehabilitation services in South India. Methods: The sample for this study included 60 family caregivers of patients referred to Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services within a tertiary-care hospital for mental health and neurosciences. Bart’s Explanatory Model Inventory, including a semi-structured interview and a checklist, assessed the family caregivers’ explanatory model of distress on five domains: identity, cause, timeline, consequences and control/cure/treatment. Results: The results indicated the coexistence of multiple causal explanatory models including psychosocial, supernatural, situational and behavioural contributors. While 36.7% of the caregivers displayed two explanatory models, 33.3% of the caregivers held three explanatory models and 16.6% of the caregivers endorsed four explanatory models. Caregivers shared their concerns about varied consequences of mental illness but less than half of them were aware of the name of the psychiatric disorder. While they accessed various forms of treatments and adjunctive supports such as prayer, medication was the most frequently used treatment method. Conclusions: The findings have implications for collaborative goal setting in recovery-oriented services for persons with mental illness and their families.

Cultural-Bound Syndrome and the Case of Ode-Ori (Schizophrenia) Among Healers Among Onko-Speaking People of Oke-Ogun Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

“…In India and third world countries, explanatory framework of schizophrenia as interpreted by carers of individuals with schizophrenia has been demonstrated in investigations. (Jacob & Kuruvilla, 2018;Mathews, Bhola, Herbert & Chaturvedi, 2019;Ikwuka, Galbraith & Nyatanga, 2013;Joy, Manoranjitham, Samuel & Jacob, 2017;Makanjuola, Esan, Oladeji, Kola, Appiah-Poku et al, 2016;Campos, Mota, Cardoso & Marques-Teixeira, 2019).…”

“…Public perceptions of the cause of psychiatric diseases have been examined in investigations (Angermeyer et al, 2020;Jacob & Kuruvilla, 2018: Makanjuola et al, 2016Tesfaye et al, 2021). The majority from these investigations imply that the general populace and carers of people with psychiatric disorders believe in metaphysical causes of mental illness (Gureje et al, 2020;Ikwuka et al, 2013;Makanjuola et al, 2016;Mathews et al, 2019;Tesfaye et al, 2021). Most sufferers and their carers seek treatment from religious healers to alleviate their symptoms, according to research (Gureje et al, 2020).…”

“…Most sufferers and their carers seek treatment from religious healers to alleviate their symptoms, according to research (Gureje et al, 2020). Indigenous healing approaches have also been proved to be beneficial in conjunction with medical treatment for sickness (Gureje et al, 2020;Ikwuka, et al, 2013;Makanjuola et al, 2016;Mathews et al 2019;Tesfaye et al, 2021). The perceived cause of mental illness and health seeking behavior are also similar to the perception and belief system about mental illness in the Yoruba speaking area of Nigeria.…”

Suffering Depression: Illness Perception of Informal Primary Caregivers of Medical Students With Major Depressive Disorder

“…Some studies have been carried out with IPCs of psychiatric patients, in order to analyze the subjective experience and perceptions of these actors in the mental health illness process (24)(25)(26)(27), and it is striking that, particularly when the caregivers are mothers, in addition to the burden of caring for the sick person, the data that stand out the most are both the concern for the future of the patient and the difficulty they themselves have with regard to the sadness and pain of seeing that their children are ill (28). Because of the importance of the involvement of these individuals with the patient, the aim of this research was to study a previously unexplored space of the perception of caregivers of young adult students with MDD, specifically in Mexico City.…”