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Carers’ Hope, Wellbeing and Attitudes Regarding Recovery

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Abstract

Carers are important to the recovery of their relatives with serious mental disorder however, it is unclear whether they are aware of, or endorse recent conceptualisations of recovery. This study compared carers’ and mental health workers’ recovery attitudes, and undertook multivariate predictions of carers’ wellbeing, hopefulness and recovery attitudes. Participants were 82 Australian family members caring for a relative with psychosis. Carers’ average recovery attitudes were less optimistic than for previously surveyed staff. Carers’ recovery attitudes were predicted by perceptions that their relative’s negative symptoms were more severe. Hopefulness and wellbeing was predicted by more positive and less negative caregiving experiences. Hopefulness was also predicted by less frequent contacts with their affected relative, and unexpectedly, by perceptions of more severe psychotic symptoms. Carers’ wellbeing was further predicted by having a partner and having no lifetime history of a mental disorder. Hope and wellbeing are affected by everyday challenges and positive experiences of caregiving.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from Rotary Health Australia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Sciences and Psychology, University of Western Sydney, Bankstown, Australia

    Sarah Marshall

  2. Illawarra Institute for Mental Heath, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia

    Frank Deane & Trevor Crowe

  3. Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    Angela White

  4. Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

    David Kavanagh

Authors
  1. Sarah Marshall
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  2. Frank Deane
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  3. Trevor Crowe
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  4. Angela White
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  5. David Kavanagh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah Marshall.

Additional information

Dr Sarah Marshall was at Illawarra Institute for Mental Health, University of Wollongong at the time of the study.

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Marshall, S., Deane, F., Crowe, T. et al. Carers’ Hope, Wellbeing and Attitudes Regarding Recovery. Community Ment Health J 49, 344–353 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-012-9568-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-012-9568-0

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