Family support and quality of community mental health care: Perspectives from families living with mental illness

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Nursing
• Main Authors: Aass, Lisbeth Kjelsrud, Moen, Øyfrid Larsen, Skundberg‐Kletthagen, Hege, Lundqvist, Lars‐Olov, Schröder, Agneta
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2021
• Subjects: Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15948; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jocn.15948; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/jocn.15948

Abstract Aim and objectives Describe patients’ and family members’ perceptions of family support from nurses and other mental healthcare professionals, and quality of care in community mental healthcare service. Further, compare the perceptions of patients and family members. Background While patients value family involvement, family members feel unprepared and lack the necessary skills to be supportive. Since healthcare professionals predominantly focus on patients, they may fail to understand the complex needs of families. Family perceived support and quality of community mental health care may vary across patients and family members. Design and methods Cross‐sectional study with patients suffering from mental illness and family members in community mental healthcare services in Norway. Altogether 86 participants, of whom 33 patients and 33 family members had a family relationship—paired samples. Participants filled in the translated version of the Iceland Family Perceived Support Questionnaire (FPSQ‐N) and Quality in Psychiatric Care—Community Out‐Patient (QPC‐COP) and Community Out‐Patient Next of Kin (QPC‐COPNK). STROBE checklist was used. Results Family members scored family perceived support and quality of community mental health care lower than patients. Family members feel the loss of support. Patient and family members found the Patient—healthcare professionals’ relationship to be of high quality, while family members gave low score to being respected and invited to take part in care by nurses and other mental healthcare professionals. Conclusion Family members’ unmet need of support highlights the need for nurses and other community mental healthcare professionals to assess complex family needs and to intervene. Barriers to collaboration exist, and family members need to be respected and invited into community mental health care. Relevance to clinical practice Contributes knowledge of how to meet the family’s needs and provides a basis for further care and treatment development in similar contexts ...