Abstract
In this article I describe the unique caring and caretaking relationship between a mentally ill person and the nonprofessional caretaker in his or her life. Stressing the perspective of the caretaker, I call this relationship "being there" for the mentally ill person. I collected the data through in-depth interviews and used a descriptive phenomenological approach to unveil the general structure of the experience. Eight constituents emerged as central to the general structure of this experience: (a) accepting the changed other and grieving the loss of who the other once was; (b) taking action in challenging circumstances; (c) recognizing the ongoing, never-ending, and sometimes unpredictable nature of the experience; (d) feeling isolated; (e) having ambiguity of the heart; (f) experiencing the tension of waiting; (g) knowing the other well; and (h) caring for the other. Knowledge gained from the study findings will help health care professionals understand and support people who are in this experience from a more caring paradigm.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1525-1535 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Qualitative Health Research |
Volume | 19 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Caregiving
- Informal
- Mental health and illness
- Mental health nursing
- Phenomenology
- Relationships