Living with a depressed person in Denmark: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Strategies for coping with the burdens of living with a depressed person affect a family’s psychosocial environment. Aim: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how relatives make personal sense of living with a depressed family member. Methods: Thirteen cohabitant relatives were interviewed either individually or in a focus group. The transcribed interviews were interpreted thematically. Results: Relatives went through a psychosocial transformation process driven by the twin challenges of their attitudes towards the depressed family member and of stigma. Conclusions: More could be done to resolve families’ need for information and for emotional and practical support promoting recovery.

The Politics of Mental Illness and Involvement—<i>A Discourse Analysis of Danish Anti-Stigma and Social Inclusion Campaigns</i>

“…The combination of the relatives' classification of their partner and the professional ways of holding the relatives responsible for psychiatric treatment constituted a moral necessity for the relatives to control the ill person's weakness. However, this rationale eventually led to conflict and relational strain in the suffering families, due to the relatives' considerable efforts to control their partner's weakness (Hansen & Buus, 2013). Moreover, a previous discourse analysis of the most widely used Danish textbook on mental health nursing in Denmark combined with field observations and interviews with psychiatric profession-als elucidated that a comparable, professional rationale about mental illness was at stake in clinical practice: In contrast to a weak, childlike and male patient, the hegemonic articulation of the nurse placed her/ him in the position of a dominant and all-knowing mother-figure; a position labelled as a "Hege-mom".…”

“…Such insight could shed further light on the hegemony and effects of political and professional discourse on mental illness within clinical practice today. Moreover, what happens if cohabitant relatives of depressed individuals could share such notions of their partner's weakness and subsequently take on responsibility for treatment and emotional care (Hansen & Buus, 2013)? This analysis then points to the importance of a deeper understanding of when or how weakness connects with families' organization, division of labour and development of psychosocial burdens of living with mental illness and distress.…”

Experiences of the psychiatric specialist health services – The perspective of relatives of inpatients with severe depression

“…Even if the person is known to the system, there is no guarantee of quickly finding help. Hansen & Buus [20] reported that cohabitant relatives of depressed persons often felt marginalized in their attempt at drawing the attention of health professionals to the fact that their relative was having a serious depression and in need of hospitalization. There may be a hindrance in questioning the changes in the depressed person's condition and treatment since relatives do not possess the proper medical knowledge.…”

“…[19] Their situation become particularly difficult when they experience not to be taken seriously and included by the mental health care professionals. [16,20,21] The main focus has been experiences of living with a person with depression and not primarily on the relatives' experiences of the mental health care service. Furthermore, the relatives have been recruited via outpatient clinics or support groups, [16,21] after the patient is discharged [20] and in some studies the depression diagnosis is not clearly defined.…”

“…[16,20,21] The main focus has been experiences of living with a person with depression and not primarily on the relatives' experiences of the mental health care service. Furthermore, the relatives have been recruited via outpatient clinics or support groups, [16,21] after the patient is discharged [20] and in some studies the depression diagnosis is not clearly defined. [16,19,21] Being a relative of a person hospitalised with a severe depression may be demanding for the relatives.…”