The paradox of family care for patients with schizophrenia: A qualitative study

Context: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder in which the individual's relationship with the reality is interrupted. Families can play an important role in the improvement of this disorder and help reduce its recurrence and ensure its better control and the patient's return to the society. Aims: This study was conducted to explore the experiences of family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Setting and Design: This study used the qualitative content analysis method proposed by Elo and Kyngäs. The study was carried out from 2019 to 2021 in the psychiatric wards of 5 Azar Hospital in Gorgan, Northern Iran. Materials and Methods: A total of 16 family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia were examined. The participants were selected by purposive sampling. Sampling continued until data saturation was reached. Semistructured interviews were held to collect data. The data were analyzed with the support of MAXQDA 10 software. Statistical Analysis Used: data were analyzed using conventional content analysis according to the technique described by Elo and Kyngäs. Their technique involves open coding, coding sheets, grouping, categorization, and abstraction. Results: Two main themes were extracted from the data, including “family's committed and compassionate care for the patients' integrity” and “inadequacy of care,” with a total of seven subcategories. Conclusion: Providing care to a family member with schizophrenia is a task with several contradictory dimensions. Due to the chronic nature of the disorder, most family caregivers experience a kind of paradox in areas such as providing comprehensive care, protection, support, and inadequacy of care.