Lawn, Sharon

Purpose: This pilot feasibility study aimed to gain preliminary insight into the acceptability and usefulness of the FAB-PBS program for providing behavior support to families following acquired brain injury (ABI) in community settings. Background: The FAB-PBS program is based on a Positive Behavior Support (PBS) framework and principles of Family-Centered Care and Family-Directed Intervention. It consists of an education phase followed by individualized sessions during which the family is supported to develop and implement a PBS plan.

This study examined the multidimensional nature of experiences of being an intimate partner of an Australian veteran or emergency service first responder (ESFR) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, inductive thematic analysis was undertaken on data collected in 2017–2018 through individual interviews with a purposive sample of 22 partners of veterans, paramedics, fire and police officers living in Australia.

Background/Aims: Families require more specialised support to manage behaviours of concern following acquired brain injury within community settings. Evidence supports the involvement of family caregivers in behaviour interventions, however there are no validated behaviour support approaches for individuals with acquired brain injury emphasising family involvement.

Cigarette smoking poses significant health burdens for people with mental illness. They die sooner than they should, and smoking is a major contributor to their high rates of morbid chronic physical health conditions and early mortality, compared to the general population. Family carers provide important support to people with mental illness. However, family carers' perspectives of smoking by their family members with mental illness are largely absent from the research literature and from practice, despite smoking rates remaining high and quit rates remaining low for this population.

Mental healthcare for older people is primarily delivered in the community with informal carers, usually family providing much of this. Older people often require input from a range of services across sectors. In Australia, the different funding and governance structures of these services makes for a complex landscape for older people, their families and mental health workers to navigate. As many people now care into later life, the consequences of not getting the required support include the potential for increased carer burden and reduced capacity to fulfil caring tasks.

Few researchers have explored family carers’ perspectives of smoking by their family members with mental illness, despite smoking rates remaining high for people with mental illness. In-depth qualitative interviews with twelve South Australian family carers explored their experiences and views of providing care for people with mental illness who smoke. Data were analysed thematically. Around the central theme of the caring role within the context of mental illness and smoking, were three interrelated themes: (1) responsibility; (2) accommodation; and, (3) dissonance.