In sickness and in health: The experiences of friends and relatives caring for people with manic depression

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a survey of friends and relatives of members of the Manic Depression Fellowship, the largest mental health self-help group in the UK. Results from over 1000 carers are reported regarding the perceived usefulness of professionals, their quality of life and perceived needs in terms of service provision. These appear to be similar to those who care for someone with schizophrenia, although the demographic profile of the two groups is clearly different. Carers expressed a wish to learn personal coping strategies and to have their role in helping to manage the illness recognised by professionals. It is suggested that similar educational packages to those developed for relatives of people with schizophrenia may be useful.