“It's impacted on everything. It's impacted on my work, it's impacted on relationships, it's impacted on everything I have done” said a significant other: A qualitative exploration of the experience of significant others who provide support to individuals attending intervention for complex trauma

Purpose: To investigate the experiences of significant others when their loved one with a severe brain injury is admitted to acquired brain injury (ABI) rehabilitation.Main measures: A qualitative approach was undertaken; using in-depth interviews and the drawing method to elicit information on the experiences of significant others who had loved ones enter an ABI unit, early in the sub-acute rehabilitation admission.Results: Nine significant others participated in interviews and completed drawings. Seven themes were identified from the two sources of data. Themes included: Trauma; Relief; Interactions; Change; Grief and loss; Journey, and Uncertainty.Conclusions: The whole experience for the significant other is traumatic as they try to understand changes to both their loved ones and their own roles. Healthcare providers have a key role in supporting significant others as their loved ones enter rehabilitation. The role of the drawing method appears to supplement and extend data received from interviews, shedding additional light into the lived experiences of significant others of those with an acquired brain injury.Implications for rehabilitationEarly in the rehabilitation process, significant others experience emotional trauma resulting from their experience of their loved one’s trauma.It is important that health professionals interactions with significant others are respectful and kind, and that interactions around processes and communication are clear.Expertise and a tailored environment reduce stress and increase feelings of confidence in significant others.Significant others may need time to talk about their experiences with health professional staff, to support them to adjust to this major life change.

The experiences of ‘significant others’ supporting people with severe burn injury: An integrative literature review

To explore the experiences of significant others of patients with severe burn injury in the intensive care unit. Specifically, how severe burn injury impacted the significant other and their role within their loved one's life. This qualitative study employed a Narrative Inquiry approach. Interviews were undertaken during 2021-2022 with 17 participants who were the significant others of a patient with severe burn injury in the Intensive Care Unit. Recruitment occurred in New South Wales, Australia, from two tertiary hospitals providing care for people with major burns. A narrative inquiry approach was utilised, capturing stories through semi-structured interviews. Significant others experienced necessary changes in their life in response to the catastrophe. These included advocating, being present and ensuring their loved one's needs were met, while often neglecting themselves. Significant others contemplated their future as a carer to their loved one with severe burn injury, and adjusting their own career, finances and lifestyle, often as a long-term measure. The shifting of their role to carer ultimately transformed and redefined their relationships and lives. Significant others endure immense trauma when a loved one sustains a severe burn injury. They require support but prioritise the patient by virtue of their critical illness. The life of the significant other is changed as they take on the role of carer and provide support. It is, therefore, imperative that the support needs of significant others are recognised, understood and addressed to ensure their well-being while processing the trauma. With increased understanding of the significant others' experiences, healthcare providers can adopt a consultative approach, where roles and boundaries can be clearly identified. Through this process, healthcare providers can strengthen rapport and provide targeted support for significant others, as they navigate this traumatic life-altering event. No patient or public contribution.

AimTo explore the experiences of significant others of adult patients with severe burn injury in the Intensive Care Unit. Specifically, this study explored the strategies implemented by significant others and obstacles faced that served to protect or placed them at risk of psychological sequelae during their experience of trauma.DesignA qualitative study using a Narrative Inquiry approach was undertaken.MethodsIndividual semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 17 participants during 2021–2022, who were a significant other of an adult patient in ICU with severe burn injury. These participants were recruited from the two major severe burns receiving hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Participants' stories were analysed using a narrative analysis approach informed by Polkinghorne. The COREQ guideline was used in reporting.ResultsAs each participant navigated the traumatic experience of supporting a loved one with a severe burn injury, they faced unique obstacles to maintaining their own mental health and well‐being. They employed strategies that were likely to protect them on this journey. Psychologically protective factors included taking back control, coexisting in the trauma with the patient and forging a trauma bond. These strategies effectively contained the trauma and protected others (such as children, extended family and friends). While this allowed significant others an element of control, it also effectively isolated them from the support of family and friends.ConclusionThis study shows that significant others may also experience personal trauma and may not recognize this as they focus all their attention on supporting the patient with the burn injury.Implications for PracticeWith increased awareness of both protective and risk factors, support can be directed towards enhancing protective factors and addressing risk factors, thereby decreasing their impact and improving support for significant others.Patient or Public ContributionNo patient or public contribution.

Purpose:To investigate the experiences of significant others when their loved one with a severe acquired brain injury (ABI) is being discharged from an ABI-specific rehabilitation unit.Participants:Significant others of loved ones with an ABI participated in interviews close to their loved ones being discharged from inpatient ABI rehabilitation.Methods:Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and thematic analysis applied. Additionally, the drawing method was also used which involved participants drawing what it was like for them as their loved one was going home. Image analysis was then combined with the interview data.Results:Eight significant others participated in interviews on discharge and completed a drawing describing their experience. Five themes were identified (Change, Mixed feelings, Support of family and friends, Journey and Staff interactions).Conclusion:The experience of having a loved one with a severe ABI in rehabilitation is an emotional event. Compassionate communication, consistency of information and thorough discharge planning practices were cornerstones to enhancing the experience of significant others, empowering them to undertake their new role.

To elucidate the lived experience of being a significant other of a person with diabetes. A person's illness has consequences not only for the affected. Despite an increasing number of studies on significant others, there have been few about the experience of being a significant other of a person with diabetes. Phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. Fifteen significant others of persons with diabetes were interviewed. The interviews were conversational, starting with an open question. They were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The texts were analysed and interpreted. The meaning of the lived experienced as narrated by the significant others is presented by way of four major themes: living in concern about the other's health, striving to be involved, experiencing confidence and handling the illness. Many significant others said that they lived a normal life and had come to accept diabetes as a normal part of life. At the same time, the significant others experienced sorrow when they saw the health of the person with diabetes deteriorate over time. Living near a person with diabetes meant being constantly attentive to how the person was feeling. The significant others wanted to be involved in the illness by the persons with diabetes and healthcare staff. They felt confidence both in the way the person with diabetes handled the illness and in the ongoing research about diabetes. The significant others had found ways to handle the illness but lacked support from healthcare staff. Nurses need to provide support for significant others as well as good caring for the patients and this requires a profound understanding of significant others from their own perspective.

This study aimed to describe the significant others' experiences and needs when a person is critically ill or injured in an acute care setting. Being a significant other to a hospitalised critically ill or injured patient is a heavily distressing life event. Addressing significant others' needs adequately has been shown to be essential to mitigate the psychological consequences of such distressing events. A systematic review of qualitative research. Meta-ethnographic synthesis was used for analysis. The key findings are described in five major themes: uncertainty and emotional 'roller coaster'; information--balancing hope and reality; to guard and to protect the loved one; alliance with caregivers--crucial support; and social network--support and disequilibrium. The study can provide a broader understanding of the significant others' situation. They are facing an overwhelming and emotionally challenging situation and need to be seen and heard. The results point towards the nurses' key position in handling the needs of the significant others. This kind of description might be helpful in taking on this delicate task and might also serve as a body of knowledge to influence clinical practice guidelines and nursing interventions in this field.

Though limited, the extant international literature on the interface between significant others, such as family and friends, and workplace bullying, emotional abuse and harassment is not restricted to cross-domain spillovers where significant others are indirect targets, but encompasses evidence of families as perpetrators as well as direct targets of workplace mistreatment. In terms of spillover, significant others are found to support targets and bullies while mixed effects mark the relationship between significant others and targets and bullies. The spillover experiences of significant others are found to vary across the different family subsystems as well as between friends at and beyond work. Moreover, families either themselves bully their members due to/during the latter’s work or are complicit when their members are bullied by others at work. They also bully third parties whose work involves interacting with their members. Besides, families are directly targeted either by the same bully who mistreats their member at work or by the targets who are bullied by their member at work. This breadth of insights comes largely from literature revolving around targets and their significant others, though there are a few findings pertaining to bullies and their significant others. What is striking is the paradoxical role of significant others which simultaneously buffers targets yet adds to the strain. Suggestions for further research to deepen our understanding and then feed into suitable interventions are made.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home became the new normal for many professionals. While this was beneficial in managing the rapidly spreading virus, it had varying impacts on the mental health of those previously not accustomed to remote work. This paper provides a critical reflection of the researcher’s experience of conducting interviews with survivors of trauma while working from home. The research aimed to understand the experiences of significant others supporting patients with severe burn injury in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). As an experienced ICU nurse, the researcher has well developed personal coping strategies for dealing with complex trauma and in working with significant others of patients with severe burn injury in hospital settings. Due to the pandemic, data collection moved from face-to-face in the hospital, as originally intended, to phone or videoconference interviews. 17 participants were recruited, with all participants given the option of videoconference ( n = 3) or telephone interviews ( n = 14). Interviews had an average length of 55 minutes. This paper discusses the strategies adopted to cope with the sharing of significant others’ experiences of trauma while in the home environment. Careful consideration was needed for the researcher, the participants and those within the homes of both researcher and participant, in terms of psychological safety, ethical considerations and rapport building.

Objective: To understand the lived experiences of Significant Others (SOs) of people with ongoing vestibular symptoms.Design: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis.Study sample: Ten SOs of people with ongoing vestibular symptoms were interviewed. Maximum variation sampling was used.Results: Four predominant themes were identified from the data: (1) Journey The progression of learning to understand, cope and adapt with a family member’s vestibular condition is a unique journey; (2) Ownership Participants reported varying levels of ownership of their family member’s vestibular condition. Those who considered the vestibular condition as a joint problem were often more burdened by feelings of guilt and redundancy; (3) Intangibility Participants reported inconsistent advice from healthcare professionals, struggles with understanding, and challenges obtaining a shared understanding with their own support networks; (4) Disempowerment SOs were left feeling powerless due to not knowing what to do for a family member when they experienced vestibular symptoms, and not having a comprehensive understanding of the vestibular condition.Conclusions: Ongoing vestibular symptoms have significant and diverse impacts on SOs. This study reveals a need for tailored support of SOs and supports the practice of family-centred care in this population.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an essential but often controversial treatment in psychiatry. While existing research focuses on patient outcomes, the perspectives of significant others (SOs) remain underexplored. They play, nevertheless, a crucial role in decision-making, treatment adherence, and post-treatment evaluation. To better understand their perceptions, challenges, and support needs, this study aims to explore the lived experiences of SOs and ECT. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed using semi-structured interviews with nine SOs of patients who underwent ECT. Thematic analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke's framework, and data were analyzed using the NVivo software. Before ECT, SOs experienced a significant emotional burden, describing their lives as unlivable due to the patients' severe illness. The decision to start ECT was marked by feelings of responsibility and fear but also driven by hope. During ECT, SOs closely monitored treatment effects and side effects, balancing improvements against challenges such as memory loss and fatigue. The psychiatrist played a central role in shaping perceptions and instilling hope. During the maintenance phase, SOs faced logistical challenges and stigma but aimed to integrate ECT into daily life while supporting patient autonomy. This study highlights the complex role of SOs in ECT. Unlike previous studies that have focused on caregiver burden, it emphasizes the role of hope in decision-making and treatment adherence. SOs value transparent communication from psychiatrists and seek structured support systems to navigate practical and emotional challenges. Stigma remains a significant barrier to open discussion and social integration.

Any life-threatening condition is likely to have an impact on those with emotional or psychological attachment to the affected person. It was anticipated that the nature of the AIDS infection and its frequent association with specific life-styles might have some unique, and as yet poorly identified, bearing on the experiences of significant others. This study was an initial attempt to address the question, “What are the experiences, concerns, and needs of adult significant others of persons diagnosed with AIDS?” using Grounded Theory methods. Ten adult significant others (parents, siblings, friends, and partners), ages 32 to 74, were interviewed in-depth to elicit descriptions of their experiences. Transcripts of interviews were coded and analyzed substantively for major descriptive categories. Seven broad categories were identified and labeled as: “Disclosure,” “Hope vs. Hopelessness,” “Changing Relationships,” “Character Portrayal,” “Advocacy,” “Motivation,” and “Geographical Separation.” Subjects universally reported their experiences as different from any previous experiences. The course of the disease process, the lack of public knowledge and acceptance, and their own needs for community involvement were some of the differences identified. Implications include the need for recognition of and sensitivity to this population as one with often unmet, unique concerns, and the need for future study.

Decision letter for "Navigating the trauma—The experiences of significant others supporting patients with severe burn injury: A narrative inquiry"

Review for "Navigating the trauma—The experiences of significant others supporting patients with severe burn injury: A narrative inquiry"

Review for "Navigating the trauma—The experiences of significant others supporting patients with severe burn injury: A narrative inquiry"