Wellbeing, mental health knowledge and caregiving experiences of siblings of people with psychosis, compared to their peers and parents: an exploratory study.
The wellbeing and caregiving experiences of family carers supporting people with psychosis has garnered increasing interest. Evidence indicates that the burden of caregiving can adversely impact on parents' wellbeing, few studies have investigated whether this is also the case for siblings, who often take on caregiving responsibilities. This exploratory study investigated the wellbeing, mental health knowledge, and appraisals of caregiving in siblings of individuals with psychosis.



Using a cross-sectional design, 90 siblings completed three validated questionnaires: Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS), and Experience of Caregiving Inventory (ECI). Data obtained were compared to general population norms and parent-carers' scores. Multi-variable regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships between questionnaire scores and demographic characteristics including age, sex, birth order, marital status, accommodation and educational level.



Siblings, especially sisters, had significantly poorer mental wellbeing, compared to normative scores. Conversely, they had better mental health knowledge. Siblings and parent-carers had comparable high levels of negative appraisals of caregiving experiences, but siblings reported more satisfaction with personal experiences and relationships. Education level was a significant predictor for better mental health knowledge; there were no other relationships between siblings' demographic factors and outcomes.



Study findings suggest that siblings have overlapping as well as distinct needs, compared to parent-carers. Further research is required to better understand siblings' experiences so as to inform development of targeted interventions that enhance wellbeing and caregiving capacity.
Health Service and Population Research Department, David Goldberg Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 de Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. jacqueline.sin@kcl.ac.uk.|Population Health Research Institute, St George's, University of London, London, UK. jacqueline.sin@kcl.ac.uk.
Jacqueline
J
Sin
Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, King's College London, London, UK.
Trevor
T
Murrells
MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Debbie
D
Spain
Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, King's College London, London, UK.
Ian
I
Norman
Health Service and Population Research Department, David Goldberg Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 de Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Claire
C
Henderson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001722:Birth Order; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010290:Parents; D010379:Peer Group; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011618:Psychotic Disorders; D012044:Regression Analysis; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
Family carers; Informal caregiving; Psychosis/schizophrenia; Siblings/brothers/sisters; Wellbeing