The lived experiences of parents of individuals admitted to a psychiatric hospital

Abstract

Background: The onset of mental illness is an event that is likely to instil a variety of emotions in both the individual and their parents, affecting their quality of life. Despite this, healthcare professions may focus more on the patient whilst neglecting the parents. Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the meaning that parents attribute to the experiences of caring for an individual admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Moreover, the objectives of this study were to explore the impact on the parent of an individual admitted to a psychiatric hospital, to explore if healthcare professionals and the healthcare system were of assistance during this experience, and to explore any support strategies that these parents required. Design: A qualitative approach following the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Setting: The study was conducted in a time and place where participants felt comfortable and ensure at ease to open up about their experiences. Participants: There were four mothers and two fathers in the study and their ages ranged between forty-two to sixty-nine years old, with a mean average age of fifty-six. A purposeful sampling strategy was employed to find participants. Verbatim transcriptions of semistructured interviews were made using audio recording. Data analysis was done using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results: Three main themes were formed including ‘Shouldering responsibilities’, ‘Attempts at maintaining balance’ and ‘Support systems’. These themes were supported by subthemes. The first theme emerged subthemes including ‘Dealing with the decisions’ and Participation in the care’ whilst the second theme emerged subthemes including the ‘Burden of the care’, ‘Living in fear’ and ‘Not all is lost’. In the last theme, three subthemes emerged including ‘Professional support’, ‘Family and friends’ and ‘Training’. Conclusion: Psychological illness does not only affect the patient but also their main caregivers, in this case, parents. This study highlighted that healthcare professionals should be aware of the essence of communication and involvement of parents and caregivers of individuals admitted to a psychiatric hospital. It was found that these experiences had impacted parents physically, emotionally, psychologically, and socially.