University Professor of Nursing Emerita, Bethel University, Eden Prairie, MN, 55346, USA.
Community Ment Health J. 2021 Nov;57(8):1547-1555. doi: 10.1007/s10597-021-00775-z. Epub 2021 Jan 24.
Consumers with a mental health condition often feel powerless and overwhelmed in interactions with mental healthcare providers. Consumer self-advocacy and advocacy actions undertaken by their family members on the behalf of their relative contribute to a sense of empowerment for both consumers and their family members. This qualitative study explored family member perspectives of advocacy actions they took on behalf of their relatives and themselves. Data analysis of interviews with 20 family members, including parents, partners/spouses, siblings, and adult children, yielded three themes of family member advocacy actions: advocating for a relative's mental healthcare, normalizing mental illness, and engaging in social and political actions. Advocacy frameworks offer useful guidelines for speaking up for individuals who live with a mental illness.
患有精神健康问题的消费者在与精神健康护理提供者互动时，常常感到无能为力和不知所措。消费者自我倡导以及其家庭成员代表他们采取的倡导行动，有助于增强消费者和他们的家庭成员的权能感。这项定性研究探讨了家庭成员代表他们的亲属和自己采取的倡导行动的观点。对 20 名家庭成员（包括父母、伴侣/配偶、兄弟姐妹和成年子女）的访谈进行数据分析，得出了家庭成员倡导行动的三个主题：倡导亲属的精神健康护理、使精神疾病正常化以及参与社会和政治行动。倡导框架为为患有精神疾病的人发声提供了有用的指导。
