Abstract
M.Cur.
Schizophrenia is a devastating mental illness and probably the most distressing and
disabling mental disorder. It is not the condition of the ill person alone but also of the
family which is placed in a crucial and pivotal role and which must take care of the ill
relative with schizophrenia. This is so because of the disillusional thinking, altered
thought process and distractions of internal stimuli that may interfere with the planning,
commitment and rationale for actions, making it difficult for everyone involved. The
effects of the illness may be confusing and shocking to families. Parents suffer from great
disruptions to their lives and children can struggle with the implications of having a
parent suffering from schizophrenia. Siblings of the ill person suffering from chronic
schizophrenia are not spared, they even suffer because issues of their own survivorship.
The family becomes case managers and primary carers. Family caregivers are vulnerable
to emotional manipulation by their mentally ill relative. They are rarely trained/helped to
manage difficult circumstances. The family members are called upon for provision of
psychological and social therapies, occupational and recreational therapy and attendant
care for which they are not trained. The family is also seriously affected and distressed because of the effect schizophrenia
has on their relative and the burden of caring. Coping with schizophrenia can especially
be difficult for relatives who remember their relative before he or she became ill, giving
rise to chronic grieving and sorrow and because of the cyclic nature of schizophrenia
giving no definite end point or lengthy respite to complete mourning. The reminders of
the "might have been" can be distressing.
There is an obvious need for research on the family's experience. It is essential to
understand their emotional tones and specific needs in relation to living with a member
suffering from chronic schizophrenia as well as to formulate guidelines. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe family member's experiences and
to formulate guidelines of care for families living with a member with chronic
schizophrenia.
The research design was based on qualitative research because of its explorative
descriptive and contextual nature. Data were collected by means of indepth
phenomenological interviews and naïve sketches. Field notes were written for reflecting
upon methods used and the personal notes for the researcher's personal inflections.
Literature was used to compare and complement the results. Guba's model on
trustworthiness ensured the trustworthiness of the research.