Those who fight alongside: Experiences of the relatives of patients in forensic and general psychiatry

Background: In Denmark there is a political objective to involve relatives in the treatment of mentally ill patients to improve the likelihood of more rapid and durable improvement. However, research shows that especially in forensic psychiatry, relatives experience increased burden caused by; the double stigma of patient’s criminal offences and the ways in which the healthcare professionals involve the relatives in the care and treatment. In general psychiatry, healthcare professionals tend to not collaborate with relatives due to organizational challenges whereas in a forensic setting, they tend to not collaborate with the relatives, mainly because of negative perceptions as regards the involvement of the relatives. Only sparse research literature seems to exist on how relatives perceive being a relative of a patient in psychiatry, how healthcare professionals engage the relatives and what roles the relatives play in the care and treatment of the mentally ill patient.
Objective: The aim of this Ph.D.-study is to generate knowledge about the experiences of the relatives of patients in forensic and general psychiatry. In support of this, the aim is also to identify facilitating and hindering factors in providing support and involvement of the relatives in the care and treatment from both the relatives’ and the staff’s perspectives.
Methods: This Ph.D.-study is epistemologically and methodologically informed by the assumptions of Symbolic Interactionism, and comprises different methods to generating knowledge: (1) a qualitative systematic review, (2) explorative qualitative interviews with relatives in forensic and general psychiatry, and (3) focus group interviews with healthcare professionals in forensic and general psychiatry.
Results: This Ph.D.-study will generate an empirical tested foundation, upon which future development and testing of interventions to improve staff-relative collaboration, support and involvement of relatives in the care and treatment of the forensic and general mental health patient, can evolve.
Conclusion: Not applicable.