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A qualitative study of the responsibilities and unmet needs of carers of persons with severe mental health challenges.

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Title: A qualitative study of the responsibilities and unmet needs of carers of persons with severe mental health challenges.
Authors: Isaacs, Anton N. (AUTHOR), Lawn, Sharon (AUTHOR), Lambert, Caroline (AUTHOR), Dyer, Anna (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Mental Health. Apr2026, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p163-173. 11p.
Subjects: Qualitative research, Mental health, Psychological burnout, Responsibility, Rehabilitation of people with mental illness, Interviewing, Caring, Fatigue (Physiology), Psychological adaptation, Judgment sampling, Descriptive statistics, Caregivers, Thematic analysis, Sound recordings, Emotional trauma, Research methodology, Psychological stress, Videoconferencing, Medical needs assessment, Social support, Data analysis software, Accidental falls
Abstract: Background: Community care for persons with severe mental health challenges [SMHC] is typically provided by family members or relatives who are referred to as carers or caregivers. Identifying carer needs and suggestions for support is therefore critical to the enhancement of community care for such individuals. Aim: This study aimed to explore the responsibilities and unmet needs of carers of persons with SMHC. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with carers of persons with severe mental health challenges. Data were analysed thematically. Results: Fourteen carers were interviewed for the study. Twelve of them (86%) cared for their own adult children and 8 (57%) had been in the caring role for over 10 years. Five categories emerged from the data. They were: (1) The responsibility for caring falls on the carer, (2) Caring is exhausting work, (3) Carers are secondary consumers, (4) Carers have specific needs and (5) What carers want. Conclusion: Family carers have no reasonable alternative but to take over the responsibility of caring. Caring is exhausting work and carers struggle to cope with the challenges of caring to the point where they become mentally unwell themselves. Therefore, carers need to be treated as secondary consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Mental Health is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: A qualitative study of the responsibilities and unmet needs of carers of persons with severe mental health challenges.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Isaacs%2C+Anton+N%2E%22">Isaacs, Anton N.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lawn%2C+Sharon%22">Lawn, Sharon</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lambert%2C+Caroline%22">Lambert, Caroline</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dyer%2C+Anna%22">Dyer, Anna</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Mental+Health%22">Journal of Mental Health</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p163-173. 11p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Qualitative+research%22">Qualitative research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+health%22">Mental health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+burnout%22">Psychological burnout</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Responsibility%22">Responsibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rehabilitation+of+people+with+mental+illness%22">Rehabilitation of people with mental illness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interviewing%22">Interviewing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Caring%22">Caring</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fatigue+%28Physiology%29%22">Fatigue (Physiology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+adaptation%22">Psychological adaptation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Judgment+sampling%22">Judgment sampling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Caregivers%22">Caregivers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thematic+analysis%22">Thematic analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sound+recordings%22">Sound recordings</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+trauma%22">Emotional trauma</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+methodology%22">Research methodology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+stress%22">Psychological stress</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Videoconferencing%22">Videoconferencing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+needs+assessment%22">Medical needs assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+support%22">Social support</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Accidental+falls%22">Accidental falls</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: Background: Community care for persons with severe mental health challenges [SMHC] is typically provided by family members or relatives who are referred to as carers or caregivers. Identifying carer needs and suggestions for support is therefore critical to the enhancement of community care for such individuals. Aim: This study aimed to explore the responsibilities and unmet needs of carers of persons with SMHC. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with carers of persons with severe mental health challenges. Data were analysed thematically. Results: Fourteen carers were interviewed for the study. Twelve of them (86%) cared for their own adult children and 8 (57%) had been in the caring role for over 10 years. Five categories emerged from the data. They were: (1) The responsibility for caring falls on the carer, (2) Caring is exhausting work, (3) Carers are secondary consumers, (4) Carers have specific needs and (5) What carers want. Conclusion: Family carers have no reasonable alternative but to take over the responsibility of caring. Caring is exhausting work and carers struggle to cope with the challenges of caring to the point where they become mentally unwell themselves. Therefore, carers need to be treated as secondary consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Mental Health is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=192584934
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/09638237.2025.2558501
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 163
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Qualitative research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological burnout
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Responsibility
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Rehabilitation of people with mental illness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interviewing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Caring
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fatigue (Physiology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological adaptation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Judgment sampling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Caregivers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thematic analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sound recordings
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emotional trauma
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research methodology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological stress
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Videoconferencing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical needs assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social support
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Accidental falls
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: A qualitative study of the responsibilities and unmet needs of carers of persons with severe mental health challenges.
        Type: main
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          Name:
            NameFull: Isaacs, Anton N.
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            NameFull: Lawn, Sharon
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            NameFull: Lambert, Caroline
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            NameFull: Dyer, Anna
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            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Text: Apr2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
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              Value: 09638237
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              Value: 35
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            – TitleFull: Journal of Mental Health
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