Experiences and Perspectives of Families of Psychiatric Hospitalisation of Their Adult Family Member: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Families who encounter the hospitalisation of an adult family member for a serious mental illness are frequently excluded from treatment and care planning. It has been established that family involvement is beneficial and positively impacts health outcomes; however, health systems continue to constrain collaborative practices. The aim of this qualitative systematic review was to explore families' views of their experiences of psychiatric hospitalisation of their adult family member and the barriers and benefits for the uptake and delivery of collaborative relationships between mental health clinicians, families, family carers, and consumers. In September 2022, systematic searches were conducted for primary studies in: CINAHL, PsycInfo, PubMed, Web of Science, and dissertations in ProQuest Dissertation and Theses Global. The searches were updated February and September 2024. Retrieved articles were managed in Covidence and screened by three reviewers at the title and abstract and full text stages. Following screening, a total of 27 articles formed the review dataset. Study quality was assessed using the well validated Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist. Three themes emerged from the review: (1) Impenetrable System—‘Expert-itis’; (2) Perpetuating Family Invisibility; and (3) Unlocking the Door. Evidence consistently described participants' experiences of inhumane professional attitudes and practices in hospital mental health services. Further research on the types of interventions and communication strategies to promote family engagement and involvement in mental health service design and delivery is needed.