The issue investigated in this thesis concerned the adaptive coping strategies that caregivers of the mentally ill adopt at different stages of encounter with their family members illness. Specifically, family caregivers responses to the illness were investigated within the parameters of the Spaniol and Zipple (1994) 4-stage model of the evolution of caregivers responses to mental illness. The accuracy of the models representation of the experience of caregivers across all kinship relationships to the care-recipient was evaluated.
Spaniol and Zipple proposed four stages which they termed (1) Discovery/Denial, (2) Recognition/Acceptance, (3) Coping and (4) Personal/Political Advocacy. The first stage is characterised by persistent denial of mental illness and seeking answers from multiple sources. The second stage involves caregivers expectations of professionals providing answers when the illness is recognised. At this stage caregivers experience guilt, embarrassment and blame. The cyclical nature of the illness impedes acceptance and caregivers experience a deep sense of loss and crisis of meaning as they gradually accept the reality of the situation. In the third stage coping replaces grieving and the issues encountered include loss of faith in professionals, disruption to family life and recurrent crises. Belief in family expertise grows and the focus of coping changes. The fourth stage proposes that caregivers become more assertive, self-blame decreases and the focus is upon changing the system. New meanings and values are integrated.
This study found that the model did not accurately describe the experience of all caregivers. Caregiver did not deny mental illness and adaptive coping occurred throughout all stages. Coping evolved as the issues encountered changed and was independent of resolution of grief. The issues encountered were more extensive than the model proposed and differed according to kinship relationship to the care recipient. The ways in which adaptive coping evolved were identified, as were the issues and their accompanying responses. Caregivers coped by adaptively responding to the requirements of care provision, maintaining a sense of self worth and generating positive effect.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/217176 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Eramo, Beverly Edith, mikewood@deakin.edu.au |
| Publisher | Deakin University. School of Psychology |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://www.deakin.edu.au/disclaimer.html), Copyright Beverly Edith Eramo |
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