Information Needs of Informal Caregivers in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

ABSTRACT

Researchers examined questions of caregivers for individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by means of a) a content analysis and b) a thematic analysis of posts on an online peer support forum. A total of 292 question posts were analyzed. Content analysis categories were based on previous research and included question motivation (cognitive, emotional, and social) and content (symptoms, prognosis, medication/treatment, coping, support, and seeking reassurance). Three newly identified themes (PTSD behavior identification and response, interpersonal interactions with trauma survivors, and healthcare system concerns) were generated through the thematic analysis. These overarching themes regarding information needs, and their subcategories, are discussed in detail. This study provides a preliminary examination of the information needs of PTSD caregivers, offers suggestions for future research, and discusses implications for the healthcare system.

KEYWORDS:

• PTSD
• caregivers
• content analysis
• thematic analysis
• information needs

Acknowledgments

We thank Rachel Hardy and Derek Kerr, who provided a substantial amount of assistance in coding duties during the data analysis process.

Disclosure statement

Authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The authors of this article declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethical standards and informed consent

After consultation with the Office of Research Compliance at Bowling Green State University, it was determined that posts included in this study do not meet the federal definition of “human subject,” and thus, they stated that Institutional Review Board approval was not needed for the conduct of this research.