Tilting at Windmills – A Qualitative Study about Family Caregiver Interactions and Perceptions in Forensic Mental Health Care

Abstract

In forensic mental health care (FMHC), family caregivers perceive themselves as burdened in their relationships with the service user (the family member with mental illness) and by difficult collaboration with healthcare professionals (HCPs). There is a political objective to involve this group in the care and treatment of the service user in mental health care. To improve family caregiver involvement in care and treatment in FMHC, research about their perceptions is needed. This study aims to explore family caregivers’ perceptions of their interactions with the service user and HCPs. The method used was qualitative. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 12 family caregiver participants were carried out and analyzed thematically. The analysis resulted in three interrelated main themes: Strategies to normalize everyday living; Distrust of the quality of care; and Loss and grief. Family caregiver feelings of loss and grief may be suppressed, which additionally could prevent them from supporting the service user.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Psychiatric Department Middelfart, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark; Psychiatric Research Fund in the Region of Southern Denmark. It was also supported by the Department of Regional Health Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark.