Weimand Bente M, Hall-Lord Marie Louise, Sällström Christina, Hedelin Birgitta
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social and Life Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
Scand J Caring Sci. 2013 Mar;27(1):99-107. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2012.01007.x. Epub 2012 May 14.
Relatives of those suffering from severe mental illness experience multiple challenges and a complex life situation. The aim of this study was to describe life-sharing experiences from the perspective of relatives of someone with severe mental illness. A qualitative, descriptive study was performed, and interviews were carried out with eighteen relatives of persons with severe mental illness. A phenomenographic analysis, according to the steps described by Dahlgren and Fallsberg, was used to describe the relatives' conceptions of their situation. The findings show that the experiences of these relatives can be summarized in one main category: 'The art of balancing between multiple concerns'. Two descriptive categories emerged: 'Making choices on behalf of others and oneself' and 'Constantly struggling between opposing feelings and between reflections'. Relatives report that they have to manoeuvre between different ways to act and to prioritize between different wishes and needs. In addition, they face a wide range of strong feelings and they search for hope and meaning. Relatives of someone with severe mental illness have to balance multiple concerns, which induce ethical dilemmas. They felt love, compassion or sense of duty towards the mentally ill person. The changeable situation made it difficult for the relatives to establish a balance in their lives. To be able to prioritize some private time was important. Relatives need own support and sufficient follow-up of the mentally ill next of kin from the mental health services.
患有严重精神疾病者的亲属面临多重挑战，生活状况复杂。本研究旨在从严重精神疾病患者亲属的角度描述共同生活的经历。进行了一项定性的描述性研究，对18位严重精神疾病患者的亲属进行了访谈。根据达尔格伦和福尔斯贝里所描述的步骤，采用现象学分析方法来描述亲属对自身处境的认知。研究结果表明，这些亲属的经历可归纳为一个主要类别：“在多重关切之间寻求平衡的艺术”。出现了两个描述性类别：“为他人和自己做出选择”以及“在相反的情感和思考之间不断挣扎”。亲属们表示，他们必须在不同的行为方式之间周旋，并在不同的愿望和需求之间进行优先排序。此外，他们面临着各种各样强烈的情感，同时在寻找希望和意义。严重精神疾病患者的亲属必须平衡多重关切，这引发了伦理困境。他们对精神病患者怀有亲情、同情或责任感。多变的状况使亲属们难以在生活中建立平衡。能够优先安排一些私人时间很重要。亲属们需要自身的支持，以及来自心理健康服务机构对精神病患者近亲的充分跟进。
