1 Department of Social Work & Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
2 Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2019 Jun;65(4):305-312. doi: 10.1177/0020764019842287. Epub 2019 Apr 15.
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic mental disorder, and family members play a key role in taking care of the affected individuals. The recovery movement has gradually transformed mental health services, for example, through the introduction of peer support services (sharing of expert-by-experience knowledge), and it has challenged the prevailing view that people with mental illness cannot recover.
Through this study, the researchers explored how family caregivers in a Chinese context conceptualise recovery, how caregivers interact with peer support workers (PSWs) and how they perceive peer support services.
Fourteen family caregivers from community settings participated in individual semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed through thematic analysis.
Family caregivers had multifaceted definitions of recovery and had various degrees of contact with PSWs. The views and experiences shared by PSWs were hope-instilling for caregivers and changed their perception of BD and their loved ones. Some limitations of PSWs were also identified.
Social connectedness and functional outcomes were important indicators of recovery among Chinese family caregivers. Caregivers began to understand the benefits of PSWs after experiencing their services. Peer-led services could be a helpful support for both service users and family caregivers.
双相情感障碍（BD）是一种慢性精神障碍，家庭成员在照顾患者方面起着关键作用。康复运动逐渐改变了精神卫生服务，例如，通过引入同伴支持服务（分享经验丰富的专业知识），挑战了精神疾病患者无法康复的普遍观点。
通过本研究，研究者探讨了中国背景下的家庭照顾者如何概念化康复，照顾者如何与同伴支持工作者（PSWs）互动，以及他们如何看待同伴支持服务。
14 名来自社区环境的家庭照顾者参加了个人半结构化访谈。通过主题分析对数据进行分析。
家庭照顾者对康复有多种定义，并且与 PSWs 有不同程度的接触。PSWs 分享的观点和经验为照顾者带来了希望，改变了他们对 BD 和亲人的看法。同时也发现了 PSWs 的一些局限性。
社会联系和功能结果是中国家庭照顾者康复的重要指标。照顾者在体验了 PSWs 的服务后，开始理解 PSWs 的益处。同伴主导的服务可以为服务使用者和家庭照顾者提供有益的支持。
