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Family expectations of inpatient mental health services for adults with suicidal ideation: a qualitative study
Author(s) -
Vandewalle Joeri,
Debyser Bart,
Deproost Eddy,
Verhaeghe Sofie
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of mental health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.911
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1447-0349
pISSN - 1445-8330
DOI - 10.1111/inm.12864
Subject(s) - mental health , suicidal ideation , context (archaeology) , feeling , psychology , qualitative research , grounded theory , psychiatry , suicide prevention , nursing , medicine , clinical psychology , poison control , social psychology , medical emergency , biology , paleontology , social science , sociology
Involvement of family members of adults with suicidal ideation is a key area of improvement in inpatient mental health services. To support family involvement in this context, it is crucial to understand what care and treatment family members expect for their relative. This qualitative study based on grounded theory involved interviews with 14 family members, including partners, parents, adult children and siblings. The family members’ expectations of care and treatment in inpatient mental health services were captured by the core element ‘Struggling to remain hopeful while looking through the lens of uncertainty’. This core element interacted with four sub‐elements: assuming safety as a priority, looking for a healing approach and environment, counting on continuity of care and wanting to be involved and supported. The family members fluctuated between hope and uncertainty depending on whether their expectations were met or unmet. Unmet expectations were common and underpinned by a sense of being marginalized during the admission of their relative with suicidal ideation. Mental health professionals, including nurses, can be more empathetic towards the family members and attuned to their expectations. This can underpin partnerships that help families to deal with their feelings of uncertainty and disempowerment. Such partnerships can flourish in recovery‐oriented mental health services that allow meaningful family involvement.