I'm not an outsider, I'm his mother!' A phenomenological enquiry into carer experiences of exclusion from acute psychiatric settings

Wilkinson, C; Mcandrew, S

Abstract

Contemporary standards and policies advocate carer involvement in planning, implementing,
and evaluating mental health services. Critics have questioned why such standards and
policies fail to move from rhetoric to reality, this particularly being applicable to carer involvement
within acute psychiatric settings. As there is only limited UK research on this topic, this interpretive
phenomenological study was undertaken to explore the perceived level of involvement from the
perspective of carers of service users who were admitted to acute inpatient settings within the previous
2 years. Interviews were conducted with four individuals who cared for a loved one with a mental
illness. The interview analysis was influenced by Van Manen, whose interpretive approach seeks
to generate a deeper understanding of the phenomenon under study. Four main themes emerged:
powerlessness, feeling isolated, needing to be recognized and valued, and a desire for partnership. The
findings reflect the views expressed by carers in other studies, identifying that while carers seek to work
in partnership with health-care professionals, at a clinical level they often feel excluded. The study
concludes by discussing ways of improving and promoting carer involvement and advocating a
partnership in care approach within acute psychiatry.

Citation

Wilkinson, C., & Mcandrew, S. (2008). I'm not an outsider, I'm his mother!' A phenomenological enquiry into carer experiences of exclusion from acute psychiatric settings. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 17(6), 392-401. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0349.2008.00574.x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: May 10, 2011
• Journal: International Journal of Mental Health Nursing
• Print ISSN: 1445-8330
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 392-401
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0349.2008.00574.x
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0349.2008.00574.x