title: Female families' experiences of caring for persons with schizophrenia.
abstract: The caring experiences of female families of persons with schizophrenia were described through exploring the families' descriptions of their experiences. Focus group interviews were conducted with 11 family caregivers. According to content analysis, the experiences revealed five major themes: early family experiences, family perceptions of illness and relatives with schizophrenia, family burden and suffering, family attitudes toward relatives with schizophrenia, and family thoughts about society and mental health resources. Also, the families had strength to overcome considerable adversity. It is needed for professionals to listen to family caregivers' narratives carefully and improve the support by focusing on accepting their experiences and histories with persons with schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Shimokato Chuoshi, Yamanashi, Japan. seriko@yamanashi.ac.jp
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takataya
authors.forename: Naotoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamizawa
authors.forename: Ikue
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology