Views and experiences of family/whanau carers of psychiatric service users on diagnosis and classification.
BACKGROUND
Family (whanau) and other carers can play a central part in the natural history of psychiatric service users. Diagnoses or the classification of mental disorders play a significant role in communications between clinicians, psychiatric service users, and family. Despite that centrality, the views and experiences of family on the utility of the present classification systems have been little studied.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to document the understanding and opinions of families/whanau on the utility of diagnostic labels as they observed them being applied to their family members.


METHODS
This is a qualitative study. The families of two cultural groups (New Zealand Maori and non-Maori) of psychiatric service users were interviewed using a structured approach.


RESULTS
A number of themes on the utility of the diagnostic systems emerged. The single most powerful message being that how the diagnostic labels were communicated, and how they were utilized in the patient management planning, were of paramount importance. There were some cross-cultural differences. From Maori, there was a particular plea for a greater incorporation of culturally syntonic concepts.


CONCLUSIONS
Family/whanau had positive views of the contributions current diagnostic practices make to patient care. The study elicited the view that more contextual issues, and not just phenomenology, should be taken into account in the development of diagnostic systems.
Laird
Barbara
B
Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Smith
Barry
B
Dutu
Gaelle
G
Mellsop
Graham
G
D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D008605:Mental Health Services; D009520:New Zealand / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires