Great expectations: a systematic review of the literature on the role of family carers in severe mental illness, and their relationships and engagement with professionals

Abstract

As community care has become embedded in the U.K. as in much of the western world more responsibility for psychosocial care has been placed on family carers. A systematic review of the literature about the role of family carers supporting a relative with severe mental illness and their relationships and engagement with professionals was carried out. The review aimed to find out what professionals expected of family carers and what family carers expected of themselves. Themes were identified: the distinct and personal nature of family caring, potentially effective family caring, barriers to effective caring and ways to overcome barriers. There were expectations that family carers were obligated to help support effective care, but that the rights to enable carers to fulfil these obligations were not consistently upheld. Barriers to upholding rights include: types of service provision, professional attitudes to communication and engagement with carers, and carer ability to cope. Recommendations for practice included: service provision aimed at including carers, more empathic communication by professionals, and a covenant between mental health services and people who depend on them. The idea of a covenant requires more discussion and research is needed into what is expected of family carers.

Living with a depressed person in Denmark: A qualitative study

“…Rowe, 2011). In line with previous studies, this study suggests that professionals could promote psychosocial care and rehabilitation by supporting relatives' coping with the burden associated with depression (Fadden et al, 1987a;Rowe, 2011;Stjernswärd & Östman, 2008).…”

Factors Related to Burglary From the Perspective of Burglars: A Qualitative Study

“…Family is the most important social unit to socialize and treat children and is the basis to all other social institutions (16). In the present study, many participants reported the effective role of family conflict and family crime commitment.…”

“…Five main, impressive themes on committing burglary emerged from interviews with participants, which included personal factors, family attitudes and behavior, others' influence regulations on burglary punishment, and easy access to stolen properties. Many disorders such as problems in stating a problem, emotional incompetence, inability to create true relationships with others, insularity and separation, low tolerance against deprivation, and anxiety are characteristics which result from lack of parents attention to their children emotional growth and satisfying their natural needs, which results in committing dangerous behaviors by children (16). Accordingly, several studies have shown that having a proper communicative pattern could have great influence on decreasing anxiety and depression (18)(19)(20).…”

‘Between a rock and a hard place’: family members’ experiences of supporting a relative with bipolar disorder

“…Family members' experiences of being excluded or over-looked by services have been well-documented (Rowe, 2012;Rusner et al, 2012, Tranvag & Kristoffersen, 2008. Studies of severe mental health problems carried out in the UK have also highlighted issues raised in this study, such as confidentiality being used inflexibly, and an absence of crisis planning, suggesting these difficulties are particularly pertinent to the British system of care (Chatzidamianos et al, 2015;Wainwright et al, 2015).…”