Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Centre, Department of Psychiatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
2 Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Centre, Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: The vital role of the family in providing physical and emotional support to a patient with a chronic mental disorder has caused the family to gain many psychosocial experiences. This study aimed to describe the positive psychosocial experiences of family caregivers and healthcare professionals in caring for patients with chronic mental disorders.
Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted using a conventional content analysis approach. The participants in this research were 10 family caregivers of patients with chronic mental disorders, 3 psychiatrists, 5 nurses working in the psychiatric department, and 3 clinical psychologists in Farabi, Khorshid, and Modares hospitals in Isfahan, who were selected by purposive sampling. The number of family caregivers was determined based on the principle of data saturation, which is a standard practice in qualitative research. We continued interviews until no new themes or insights emerged, ensuring that the data collected were comprehensive and sufficient to address the research question. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. In this research, the data were analyzed using the approach of Graneheim and Lundman. The accuracy and robustness of the data were also done using the Lincoln and Guba criteria.
Results: A total of 236 primary codes were obtained, which were classified into 9 sub-categories and 4 main categories, including “personal growth and self-awareness”, “social and family relationships”, “emotional and psychological well-being”, and “care as a meaningful role”.
Conclusion: Identifying the positive experiences of care in caregivers can provide a background for the development of various programs and studies to promote adaptation and ultimately increase the level of psychosocial health of family caregivers of patients with chronic mental disorders, and can lead to more emphasis by health policymakers on the strengths and support resources of these people.
Keywords
- Taheri Mirghaed M, Abolghasem Gorji H, Panahi S. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Prev Med 2020;11:21. doi:10.4103/ijpvm. IJPVM_510_18
- Ntsayagae EI, Poggenpoel M, Myburgh C. Experiences of family caregivers of persons living with mental illness: a meta-synthesis. Curationis 2019;42(1):e1-9. doi:10.4102/curationis. v42i1.1900
- Dehbozorgi R, Fereidooni-Moghadam M, Shahriari M, Moghimi-Sarani E. Barriers to family involvement in the care of patients with chronic mental illnesses: a qualitative study. Front Psychiatry 2022;13:995863. doi:10.3389/ fpsyt.2022.995863
- Lohrasbi F, Alavi M, Akbari M, Maghsoudi J. Promoting psychosocial health of family caregivers of patients with chronic mental disorders: a review of challenges and strategies. Chonnam Med J 2023;59(1):31-47. doi:10.4068/ cmj.2023.59.1.31
- Liu YE, Cao G, Li TX, Xi SJ, Yu Y. Caregiving burden and positive aspects of caregiving among family caregivers of people living with schizophrenia: two sides of the same coin. Appl Nurs Res 2022;67:151619. doi:10.1016/j.apnr.2022.151619
- Pashaeypoor S, Yaghoobzadeh A, Ong FS, Cheraghi M, Khoshkesht S, Mardanian Dehkordi L. Caregiving for patients with chronic diseases: the process of caregiver empowerment. J Qual Res Health Sci 2025;14(1):1-8. doi:10.34172/jqr.1324
- Nikbakht-Nasrabadi A, Mardanian-Dehkordi L, Taleghani F. Abandonment at the transition from hospital to home: family caregivers’ experiences. Ethiop J Health Sci 2021;31(3):525- 32. doi:10.4314/ejhs.v31i3.9
- Akbari M, Alavi M, Irajpour A, Maghsoudi J. Challenges of family caregivers of patients with mental disorders in Iran: a narrative review. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res 2018;23(5):329- 37. doi:10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_122_17
- Cruz E, Paré MA, Stan C, Voth J, Ward L, Taboun M. Caring for the caregiver: an exploration of the experiences of caregivers of adults with mental illness. SSM Qual Res Health 2024;5:100406. doi:10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100406
- Phillips R, Durkin M, Engward H, Cable G, Iancu M. The impact of caring for family members with mental illnesses on the caregiver: a scoping review. Health Promot Int 2023;38(3):daac049. doi:10.1093/heapro/daac049
- Pendergrass A, Mittelman M, Graessel E, Özbe D, Karg N. Predictors of the personal benefits and positive aspects of informal caregiving. Aging Ment Health 2019;23(11):1533-8. doi:10.1080/13607863.2018.1501662
- Deng R, Chen L, Zhong M, Zhao J, Yang L, Zhu N, et al. Factors influencing the positive aspects of caring for dementia patients by family caregivers: a systematic mixed studies review protocol. Syst Rev 2024;13(1):241. doi:10.1186/ s13643-024-02636-8
- Lee Y, Li L. Evaluating the positive experience of caregiving: a systematic review of the positive aspects of caregiving scale. Gerontologist 2022;62(9):e493-507. doi:10.1093/geront/ gnab092
- Grover S, Nehra R, Malhotra R, Kate N. Positive aspects of caregiving experience among caregivers of patients with dementia. East Asian Arch Psychiatry 2017;27(2):71-8.
- Wang J, Li X, Liu W, Yang B, Zhao Q, Lü Y, et al. The positive aspects of caregiving in dementia: a scoping review and bibliometric analysis. Front Public Health 2022;10:985391. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.985391
- Yuan Q, Zhang Y, Samari E, Jeyagurunathan A, Goveas R, Ng LL, et al. Positive aspects of caregiving among informal caregivers of persons with dementia in the Asian context: a qualitative study. BMC Geriatr 2023;23(1):51. doi:10.1186/ s12877-023-03767-8
- Lin YR, Huang HL, Liu CL. Factors associated with positive aspects of caregiving experiences among family caregivers of persons living with dementia in Taiwan: a cross-sectional study. Geriatr Nurs 2022;48:229-36. doi:10.1016/j. gerinurse.2022.10.003
- Lloyd J, Patterson T, Muers J. The positive aspects of caregiving in dementia: a critical review of the qualitative literature. Dementia (London) 2016;15(6):1534-61. doi:10.1177/1471301214564792
- Grover S, Kate N, Chakrabarti S, Avasthi A. Positive aspects of caregiving and its correlates among caregivers of bipolar affective disorder. East Asian Arch Psychiatry 2017;27(4):131- 41.
- Kate N, Grover S, Kulhara P, Nehra R. Positive aspects of caregiving and its correlates in caregivers of schizophrenia: a study from north India. East Asian Arch Psychiatry 2013;23(2):45-55.
- Kulhara P, Kate N, Grover S, Nehra R. Positive aspects of caregiving in schizophrenia: a review. World J Psychiatry 2012;2(3):43-8. doi:10.5498/wjp.v2.i3.43
- Polit DF, Beck CT. Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2017.
- Graneheim UH, Lundman B. Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Educ Today 2004;24(2):105- 12. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2003.10.001
- Tang Y. Challenges, personal growth and social support among family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients in Southern China. Qual Soc Work 2019;18(4):638-54. doi:10.1177/1473325018755890
- Masel EK, Antunes B, Schulz-Quach C. Palliative care in severe mental illnesses. BMC Palliat Care 2023;22(1):31. doi:10.1186/s12904-023-01152-1
- Mitchell HR. Caregiver, self-esteem. In: Maggino F, ed. Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2023. p. 643-5. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_104674
- Hudson P, Aranda S. The Melbourne Family Support Program: evidence-based strategies that prepare family caregivers for supporting palliative care patients. BMJ Support Palliat Care 2014;4(3):231-7. doi:10.1136/bmjspcare-2013-000500
- Ashrafizadeh H, Gheibizadeh M, Rassouli M, Hajibabaee F, Rostami S. Explain the experience of family caregivers regarding care of Alzheimer’s patients: a qualitative study. Front Psychol 2021;12:699959. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.699959
- Schulz R, Eden J. Family caregiving roles and impacts. In: Families Caring for an Aging America. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US); 2016.
- Mishra N, Datti RS, Tewari A, Sirisety M. Exploring the positive aspects of caregiving among family caregivers of the older adults in India. Front Public Health 2023;11:1059459. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1059459
- Farhadi A, Noroozian M, Mohammadi F, Foroughan M, Rassouli M, Sadeghmoghadam L, et al. Positive experiences of caregiving in family caregivers of older adults with dementia: a content analysis study. Iran South Med J 2018;21(4):319-34.
- Rahimi F, Shakibazadeh E, Ashoorkhani M, Foroughan M. Facilitators of elderly care at home and the educational needs of the family caregivers of older adults in the south of Tehran, Iran: a qualitative study. Iran J Ageing 2024;19(2):222-41. doi:10.32598/sija.2023.3668.1
- Rassouli M, Zamanzadeh V, Ghahramanian A, Abbaszadeh A, Alavi-Majd H, Nikanfar A. Experiences of patients with cancer and their nurses on the conditions of spiritual care and spiritual interventions in oncology units. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res 2015;20(1):25-33.
- Eghtedar S, Almasi L, Jasemi M, Aparnak F, Habibzadeh H. Family caregivers in cancer: Experiences, capacities, and solutions. Nurs Midwifery J 2023;21(3):195-205. doi:10.61186/unmf.21.3.195
- Charalambous A. Caregiving and caregivers: concepts, caregiving models, and systems. In: Charalambous A, ed. Informal Caregivers: From Hidden Heroes to Integral Part of Care. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2023. p. 1-11. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-16745-4_1
- Cheng ST, Mak EP, Lau RW, Ng NS, Lam LC. Voices of Alzheimer caregivers on positive aspects of caregiving. Gerontologist 2016;56(3):451-60. doi:10.1093/geront/gnu118
- Bruton AE, Debosik LR, Pitzer KA, Csikai EL, Washington KT. Problem-solving dimensions among caregivers of people with cancer receiving outpatient palliative care. J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care 2023;19(1):23-32. doi:10.1080/15524256.2 022.2139333
- Schulz R, Eden J, Committee on Family Caregiving for Older Adults, Board on Health Care Services, Health and Medicine Division, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Families Caring for an Aging America. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US); 2016.
- Akbari Shaker A, Pourghaznein T, Jamali J, Esmaelzadeh F. Effect of sharing experiences in an online support group on the resilience of family caregivers of the disabled elderly. Evid Based Care 2020;10(3):50-8. doi:10.22038/ ebcj.2021.53363.2408
- Machado BM, Dahdah DF, Kebbe LM. Caregivers of family members with chronic diseases: coping strategies used in everyday life. Cad Bras Ter Ocup 2018;26(2):299-313. doi:10.4322/2526-8910.ctoAO1188
- Wang J, Liu W, Li X, Ma Y, Zhao Q, Lü Y, et al. Examining the social networks types and their effects on caregiving experience of family caregivers for individuals with dementia: a mixed-methods study. Innov Aging 2024;8(6):igae040. doi:10.1093/geroni/igae040
- Roth DL, Fredman L, Haley WE. Informal caregiving and its impact on health: a reappraisal from population-based studies. Gerontologist 2015;55(2):309-19. doi:10.1093/ geront/gnu177
- Noonan MC, Wingham J, Taylor RS. ‘Who Cares?’ The experiences of caregivers of adults living with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary artery disease: a mixed methods systematic review. BMJ Open 2018;8(7):e020927. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020927
- Li L, Lee Y. Caregiving choice and caregiver-receiver relation: effects on psychological well-being of family caregivers in Canada. Can J Aging 2020;39(4):634-46. doi:10.1017/ s0714980819000825
- Naderi N, Khalili Y, Ansarifar A, Ghadrdost B, Bakhshi A. The effect of supportive interventions on resilience and quality of life among family caregivers of people with advanced heart failure. Iran J Cardiovasc Nurs 2018;7(2):22-3.
- Schulz R, Beach SR, Czaja SJ, Martire LM, Monin JK. Family caregiving for older adults. Annu Rev Psychol 2020;71:635- 59. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010419-050754
- Wang H, Yue H, Wang Z, Lu M, Feng D. The relationship between patient-family caregiver congruence/incongruence in acceptance of illness and family caregivers’ anticipatory grief. Psychooncology 2023;32(5):751-9. doi:10.1002/pon.6121
- Demirel Y, Çağatay HT, Ertuğrul B, Başaran E, Salimoğlu S. The effect of the compassion levels of healthcare workers on their psychological well-being. Work 2024;77(1):253-62. doi:10.3233/wor-230035
- Beadle J, de la Vega C, Heller A. Caregiving, empathy, and prosocial behavior. Innov Aging 2018;2(Suppl 1):480. doi:10.1093/geroni/igy023.1791
- Ritpanitchajchaval N, Ashton AS, Apollo M. Eudaimonic well-being development: motives driving mountain-based adventure tourism. J Outdoor Recreat Tour 2023;42:100607. doi:10.1016/j.jort.2023.100607
- Gilligan M, Suitor JJ, Rurka M, Con G, Pillemer K. Adult children’s serious health conditions and the flow of support between the generations. Gerontologist 2017;57(2):179-90. doi:10.1093/geront/gnv075
)