Personal Tragedy or System Failure
A Qualitative Analysis of Narratives of Caregivers of People with Severe Mental Illness in Hong Kong and Taiwan
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19274979 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marcus Yu Lung Chiu (0000-0002-6676-8886, Hong Kong Baptist University), Marcus Yu-Lung Chiu (Hong Kong Baptist University), Grace Fang-Wan Wei (National Taipei University), Grace Wei (0000-0001-5378-920X, National Taipei University), Sing Lee (0000-0002-9377-7390, Chinese University of Hong Kong) |
| Year | 2006 |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 413-423 |
| Publication date | 2006-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Social Psychiatry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-7640 • E-ISSN: 1741-2854 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020764006065155 |
| PMID | 17278343 |
| OpenAlex | W1963951146 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 31 |
Background: Most studies agree that mental illness brings a heavy objective and subjective burden of care on the family and especially the caregivers. However, very little attention has been paid to the wider context in which this burden is shaped and sustained. Material: In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 caregivers in Hong Kong and Taiwan and subsequent analysis identified four major themes: mystical knowledge beyond understanding, persistent self-blame and lay explanation, inertia of caregivers and non-responsive service system, and unsatisfying encounters with medical staff. Discussion: The results of the study indicate that these families did not get the services they needed. In spite of recounting many system failures, most respondents attributed their situation to tragedy and misfortune at personal and family levels. Such a discourse is closely connected to a wider context of health and social care. The Hong Kong subjects complained more, felt more helpless, and had more persistent self-blame and lay explanation than the Taiwanese subjects. Conclusions: To reduce such experiences, this paper calls for inclusive policies for the family, new education strategies and reflections on the roles of mental health professionals in empowerment and advocacy beyond conventional treatment, counseling and education
Blame · Context (archaeology) · Empowerment · Mental health · Mental illness · Misfortune · Narrative · Political science · Psychiatry · Qualitative research · Scapegoating · Sociology · Tragedy (event) · Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units · Family Caregiving in Mental Illness · Family Support in Illness · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology
Stigma towards people with mental illness in developing countries in Asia
Double Disadvantage of Carers with a Disability
Mainland Chinese Family Caregiver Narratives in Mental Illness
Involved, inputting or informing
Factors Associated With Care Burden and Quality of Life Among Caregivers of the Mentally Ill in Chinese Society
Empowering caregivers
A Qualitative Study of Barriers to Mental Health Services Utilisation Among Migrants From Mainland China in South-East Sydney
Living with a depressed person in Denmark
Experiences of Family Burden in Caring for the Severely Mentally Ill in a Foreign Land
Experience of social stigma by people with schizophrenia in Hong Kong
Illness Management and Recovery
Family Experiences with Mental Illness
The consumer recovery vision
Caring for a Family Member with Chronic Mental Illness
Stigmatizing experience and structural discrimination associated with the treatment of schizophrenia in Hong Kong
The sexual division of care in mainland China and Hong Kong
| Citations per year | 0.47 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2007 - 2022 (16) |
| Highly cited | No |