Cleary, Michelle

The article focuses on the Caregiver Burden for People with Schizophrenia in Medan, Indonesia. Topics discussed include Caregiving for a family member with a chronic and/or major illness is held as an obligation in many cultures; and interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed, with transcriptions checked for accuracy; and participants were deidentified in the transcripts, and analysis was performed using thematic analysis.

Objective: To synthesise qualitative research that explored caregivers' experiences of caring for family diagnosed with schizophrenia. Methods: Electronic databases including PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus were searched to identify relevant journal articles published from 2000 to March 2019. Quality was assessed and thematic synthesis of the qualitative research evidence undertaken. Papers were screened and independently appraised by two reviewers using The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) for Qualitative Studies Checklist.

This paper explored the support needs of family caregivers of people living with a mental illness in Iran. This descriptive study focused on the experiences of 20 family caregivers as well as the views of 29 professional support workers through individual face-to-face interviews. From these interviews three key themes emerged in regards to the care needs of family caregivers: (i) social support; (ii) emotional support; and (iii) safety and security.

Background: The consequences and high costs of psychiatric disorders impact family caregivers greatly.

There is increasing emphasis on enhancing consumer and carer participation in the planning and provision of mental health services. However, health professionals, consumers, and carers have different perceptions about what constitutes optimal care; identifying, negotiating, and meeting their respective needs can be challenging. The aim of the paper is to highlight the challenges of facilitating carer participation in daily practice and emphasise the broader issues that would benefit from more extensive discussion among health professionals.