Family perspectives of how their relatives with mental illness benefit from Clubhouse participation: a qualitative inquiry

Abstract

Background: Although researchers have demonstrated the benefits of psychosocial Clubhouse participation on a number of clinical and psychosocial outcomes, few studies have investigated the consumer’s participation from the perspectives of others.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate family members’ perspectives of how Clubhouse programming has affected consumers’ recovery.

Method: Twenty-four relatives of Clubhouse members were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. Relatives were nominated by their Clubhouse members as their family member who provided them with the most social support. All interviews were transcribed and underwent content analysis yielding multilevel coding.

Results: Four main dimensions emerged from family interviews about how Clubhouses affected their relatives. These dimensions aligned with areas of clinical recovery and personal growth. Family members observed and noted changes in: (1) positive affective changes, (2) improved goal directed and challenging behaviors, (3) positive attitude changes and (4) greater social interactions.

Conclusion: As one of the first studies to document the perspectives of the relatives of Clubhouse members, this exploratory study indicates that family members recognize positive changes in their Clubhouse family members and these changes align with areas of functional recovery. Implications for practice and future studies are discussed.

Keywords:

• Adults with severe mental illness
• clubhouse
• family caregivers
• qualitative research

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

This research was supported by grants from the Cleveland and Woodruff Foundations, Cleveland, Ohio. Part of this research was supported by a Wayne State University Faculty Development Award, Detroit, Michigan.