Barriers to Family Resilience in Caregivers of People Who Have Schizophrenia.
Júlio Belo Fernandes, Sónia Belo Fernandes, Ana Silva Almeida and 1 others
PMID 33780160WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers of relatives with schizophrenia described barriers to coping: not knowing the illness, stigma, critical emotions, pulling away or taking control, and blame.
They said psychoeducation and counseling helped them understand what to do.
Key findings
01Caregivers reported that not understanding the illness or how to respond made coping harder, and they described psychoeducation and counseling as helping them overcome this barrier.
02Stigma and expressed emotion were frequently described barriers; caregivers felt judged by others and reported criticism or hostility in family interactions.
03Caregivers described two relationship patterns, withdrawing after repeated relapses or taking control of decisions, and also blamed themselves or the relative for the illness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Convenience sample from one metropolitan public hospital psychiatry outpatient unit in Portugal, so the themes may not transfer to other settings or populations. Participants had been caring for a relative with schizophrenia for five or more years, so the study may not capture barriers faced by newer caregivers. Interviews averaged about 15 minutes, which may be short for exploring complex family experiences. Participants reported their own experiences, and the authors note that self-report may be influenced by confidence in anonymity or protection of values and beliefs. The paper states 31 interviews were carried out, while the participant table lists 22 female and 8 male, so the exact gender total is unclear.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest or funding declaration is included in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that psychoeducation and counseling improve family resilience. They were reported together, and the study did not test them.