Jewell Thomas C, Stein Catherine H
University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA.
Community Ment Health J. 2002 Feb;38(1):17-33. doi: 10.1023/a:1013903813940.
Adult siblings of people with serious mental illness are increasingly being called upon to serve as caregivers for their loved ones. The present study investigated 111 adults' reports of their relationships with their afflicted siblings and with their parents in an attempt to explain well siblings' reports of: (1) current caregiving, (2) hypothetical caregiving willingness, and (3) future intention to care for their brother or sister with mental illness. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicate that perceived sibling need, sibling affection, reciprocity with ill siblings, felt obligation toward parents, and parental requests for help with caregiving are associated with current sibling caregiving. Findings also suggest that adults' beliefs about their ill siblings' need for assistance and their parents' need for assistance are related to future sibling caregiving intentions. The implications of these findings for researchers and mental health professionals are discussed.
患有严重精神疾病者的成年兄弟姐妹越来越多地被要求担任其亲人的照顾者。本研究调查了111名成年人关于他们与患病兄弟姐妹及父母关系的报告，试图解释兄弟姐妹在以下方面的报告：（1）当前的照顾情况，（2）假设的照顾意愿，以及（3）未来照顾患有精神疾病的兄弟姐妹的意向。分层多元回归分析结果表明，感知到的兄弟姐妹需求、兄弟姐妹间的感情、与患病兄弟姐妹的互惠关系、对父母的责任感以及父母对照顾帮助的请求与当前的兄弟姐妹照顾行为相关。研究结果还表明，成年人对其患病兄弟姐妹的帮助需求以及对父母的帮助需求的信念与未来的兄弟姐妹照顾意向有关。文中讨论了这些研究结果对研究人员和心理健康专业人员的启示。
