Relatives’ experiences of the Boston Psychiatric Rehabilitation Approach : A qualitative study

• The Boston Psychiatric Rehabilitation approach (BPR) is individualized and characterized by being based entirely on the individual´s unique needs and preferences in the areas of working, learning, social contacts, and living environment. Relatives of clients in mental health services influence the client’s possibilities to recovery by their everyday relationship. Nonetheless traditionally relatives have had a subordinated role in the care of their mentally ill family member. The perspective of relatives is an importance aspect in the development of new approaches to psychiatric rehabilitation. Thus the purpose of the present study was to describe and explore relatives’ experiences of the Boston Psychiatric Rehabilitation Approach. Ten relatives to clients in mental health services approached with the BPR were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed with a qualitative content analysis method to explore relatives’ experiences of the BPR intervention in a county of Sweden. The findings from the interviews could be summarized in the theme “To meet the clients’ needs” consisting of three categories: “Dependence in staffs’ competence”, “Responsibility of participation and self-determination” and “The necessity of coordination between authorities and care-givers”.  The findings suggest that relatives may contribute with important information about clients’ needs related to outcome of care. Relatives’ perspectives may be of importance in further development of BPR. Further research about relatives’ role in psychiatric rehabilitation is needed as well as studies comparing different kinds of psychiatric rehabilitation from the perspective of relatives.

Subject headings

HUMANIORA  -- Språk och litteratur (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Languages and Literature (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation, hälsopolitik och hälsoekonomi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Mental health services

Psychiatric rehabilitation

Relatives’ experiences

Qualitative content analysis

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)