Strategies for coping with family members of patients with mental disorders.
Daniele Alcalá Pompeo, Arélica de Carvalho, Aline Morgado Olive and 2 others
PMID 27627121WHAT IT FOUND
Family members of psychiatric inpatients most often used social support and problem solving.
Parents used these functional strategies more than adult children. Adult children relied more on escape and avoidance. No coping differences were found based on the patient's diagnosis or disease duration.
Key findings
01The most frequently used coping strategy was social support, followed by problem solving, while confrontation was the least used.
02Parents used self-control, social support, and positive reappraisal significantly more often than children, siblings, or other relatives.
03No significant differences in coping strategies were associated with the patient's specific mental disorder or the duration of the illness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (n=40) and non-probabilistic, limiting the generalizability of the findings. The study used a cross-sectional design, so it cannot determine causality or how coping strategies change over time. The reliability of the FLICS scale was moderate (Cronbach's alpha 0.44-0.79), which is lower than the original validation. Key variables such as caregiver burden, personality, and stress levels were not measured, potentially confounding the results.
Declared interests
The paper states it received a favorable opinion from the local Ethics Committee. No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest declarations are mentioned in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the patient's diagnosis (e.g., schizophrenia vs. depression) or the presence of psychotic symptoms dictates how the family copes. The study found no significant differences in coping strategies based on these clinical variables. Family role (parent vs. child) was a more significant predictor of coping style.