The Experience of Families with Psychiatric Patients : A Grounded Theory Approach

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The Purpose of this study was to build a substantive theory about the experience of families withpsychiatric patients. The qualitative research method used was grounded theory. The interviewees were seven families with psychiatric patients. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with audiotape recording done by the investigator over a period of ten months.The data were analyzed simultaneously by a constant comparative method in which new data were continuously coded into categories and properties according to Strauss and Corbin's methodology.Analysis the grounded data resulted in 152 concepts being identified. Fifteen categories emerged from the analysis. The categories were the fall in mental health illness, heavy in the chest, burden, loss, caring for the patient, hate for patient, lack of knowledge and information, lack of effort. lack of social support, lack of family support, lack of medical support, pursuit, discover of valuing, compliance and abandonment.These substantive categories are consistent with previous research results.Causal conditions included : the fall in mental health illness. Phenomena : heavy in the chest, burden, loss. Intervention condition knowledge and information about mental health illness, effort, support. Action/ interaction strategies : desire for knowledge and information, support, effort and liberation. Consequences : discover of valuing, compliance and abandonment. These categories were synthesized into the core concept-burden.The process of discover of valuing was proceeded by caring for the psychiatric patient. hate for the psychiatric patient, knewledge and information, social support, family support, medical support, discover of valuing, heavy in the chest, loss.This study will prove helpful understanding families with psychiatric patients.