Religious Coping Among Adults Caring for Family Members with Serious Mental Illness

"In God We Trust": An Exploratory Study of the Associations Between Religiosity and the Caregiving Experiences of Parents of Children with Rare Diseases in Poland

Most children with a rare disease are cared for by their family members but parenting such a child is extremely demanding due to the complexity and severity of symptoms, with serious physical, emotional, social, and financial consequences for caregivers. Although religion may serve as a positive coping strategy, little is known about its role in helping caregivers manage the stress related to the burden of caregiving in Poland. Therefore, we surveyed 925 Polish family caregivers of children with rare diseases to understand the association between caregivers' religiosity and their caring experiences. The findings suggest that parents' religiosity is associated with a more positive caregiving experience, perceived quality of life, and experienced caregiving burden. While religious caregivers reported experiencing less distressing emotions and stressed the encouraging impact of their child's disease on their life more often, non-religious caregivers experienced role captivity and role overload more frequently. Since religion may serve as a source of strength and a protecting factor against mental health problems and the burden of caregiving, healthcare professionals should be aware of the importance of religious and spiritual care, and caregivers' religiosity should be considered an integral part of a holistic approach.

Experiences of relatives caring for psychiatric patients in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

PURPOSE

The study aimed at examining the lived experiences of relatives caring for family members with mental illness in Ghana.

METHODS

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was adopted to explore caregivers' in-depth experiences. Fifteen caregivers were purposefully selected from four hospitals within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, and they were engaged in face-to-face interview sessions through the semi-structured guided interviews. Interviews were transcribed into text formats and analysed using the IPA approach.

RESULTS

Three superordinate themes and their respective sub-themes were identified. Theme 1: Being with the mentally ill (time consuming; financial burden; healer shopping); Theme 2: Psychosocial effect (stigmatization; stress and depression; changes in social/work life); Theme3: Coping resources (prayers/spirituality; psychological capital - ignoring, self-encouragement, acceptance, routinization; social/family support; reading).

CONCLUSION

It was recommended that healthcare professionals ought to prepare family members for the emotional challenges by providing them with constant therapeutic service to help reduce their emotional strain associated with the burden of care. Public education should be intensified for people to understand the need for accepting people with mental illness in order to reduce the issue of stigmatization. Again, government should institute policies through its agencies (Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service) to assist the caregivers in the discharge of responsibilities. This could take the form of reducing cost of drugs, and establishing community mental health care to provide immediate support.

Perceptions of motherhood in mothers of children with disabilities in Turkey: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore how mothers of children with disabilities perceive mothering through metaphor.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The study was conducted in March 2023 with 28 women who had experienced motherhood. The data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form and the Metaphorical Perceptions Form developed by the researchers who reviewed the literature. The women's metaphorical perceptions were obtained by filling in the following sentence: 'Being a mother of a child with disabilities is like/similar to … … … . because … … '.. The interviews were conducted individually using the in-depth interview method and analysed using the descriptive analysis technique.

RESULTS

The metaphors created by mothers of children with disabilities were grouped under two main themes: interpretation and challenges. Each major theme contains sub-themes. The main theme of interpretation includes cleansing from sins and divine reward, empowerment, being privileged, and acceptance/change in outlook on life, while the sub-theme of challenges includes constant struggle, stigmatisation, imprisonment/isolation, and uncertainty.

CONCLUSION

The women involved in the study produced the most metaphors for their perceptions of being a mother of a child with a disability for the sub-theme of imprisonment/isolation in the main theme of challenges. On the other hand, the least number of metaphors were produced in the sub-theme of acceptance/change in the outlook on life in the main theme of interpretation. According to the results, the perception of motherhood of women with children with disabilities will especially guide midwives who are responsible for the care of children with disabilities aged 0-6 years, and mental health workers.

Commonalities and Differences in the Experiences of Visible Minority Transnational Carer-Employees: A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study explored the commonalities and differences among the experiences of visible minority Transnational Carer-Employees (TCEs) before and after COVID-19. TCEs are immigrants who live and work in the country of settlement while providing caregiving across international borders. Purposive and snowball sampling resulted in the participation of 29 TCEs of Pakistani, Syrian, African, and South American origin living in London, Ontario. Thematic analysis of the dataset using the ATLAS.ti software, Version 23.2.1., generated three themes: (1) feelings associated with transnational care; (2) employment experiences of TCEs; and (3) coping strategies for well-being. The results of the secondary analysis conducted herein suggested that there are more similarities than differences across the four cohorts. Many participants felt a sense of satisfaction at being able to fulfill their care obligations; however, a different outlook was observed among some Syrian and African origin respondents, who disclosed that managing care and work is overwhelming. Most TCEs also reported facing limited job options because of language barriers. While various interviewees experienced a lack of paid work and reduced income after COVID-19, a distinct perspective was noted from African descent TCEs as they expressed facing increased work demands after the pandemic. Participants additionally revealed four common coping strategies such as keeping busy, praying, family support, and staying active. Study implications include the promotion of Carer-Friendly Workplace Policies (CFWPs) that can facilitate the welfare of unpaid caregivers. This research is important as it may inform policymakers to create opportunities that may not only foster economic stability of TCEs and the Canadian economy, but also contribute towards a more equitable society.

Muslim caregivers' experiences in caring for patients receiving peritoneal dialysis

BACKGROUND

Fulfilling the role of a family caregiver has a substantial effect on the lives of those involved. However, existing information on family caregivers of patients receiving peritoneal dialysis is insufficient-especially Muslim caregivers, whose practice is unique.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of Muslim family caregivers looking after patients receiving peritoneal dialysis in an Islamic context.

DESIGN

A descriptive qualitative approach was employed.

PARTICIPANTS

Thirteen Muslim family caregivers who have cared for patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis for at least 1 month.

APPROACH

Data were collected through face-to-face in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion. Content analysis was used to analyse the data with initial codes grouped into sub-categories, generic categories, and main categories.

FINDINGS

The experiences of Muslim family caregivers looking after patients receiving peritoneal dialysis generated two main categories: overwhelmed with suffering and learning to live as a caregiver.

CONCLUSIONS

Caregiving has a substantial impact on Muslim family caregivers. They need to be cared for holistically. The recognition of Islamic beliefs, doctrine of Allah, and religious practices are clear spiritual anchors for caregiving. The findings provide a deeper understanding of the experiences of Muslim family caregivers looking after patients receiving peritoneal dialysis. These findings could serve as the basis for developing a specific nursing intervention for such caregivers.

The Impact of Caregiving Intensity and Religiosity on Spousal Caregivers' Health and Mortality in the US (2004-2014)

OBJECTIVES

Despite adverse physical and mental health outcomes related to caregiving, family caregivers also experience lower mortality rates compared to noncaregivers. However, research has not yet examined the role of caregiving intensity and religiosity with health and mortality among spousal caregivers.

METHODS

Data include spousal caregivers (n=5,214 person-wave observations) and noncaregivers (n=50,311 person-wave observations) from the Health and Retirement Study (2004-2014 waves). Multinomial logistic regression was used to explore how caregiving intensity and religiosity were associated with health and mortality among spousal caregivers, compared health and mortality between caregivers and noncaregiving peers, and examined gender differences in these mechanisms.

RESULTS

Greater religious salience and attending religious services, although dependent on gender and caregiving intensity, are protective for caregivers' health and mortality.

DISCUSSION

Religiosity may buffer adverse effects of caregiving on health and mortality for spousal caregivers. Continuation of prior religiosity may enhance positive aspects of caregiving and decrease caregiver burden.

Factors related to the use of religious coping by informal caregivers: an integrative review

OBJECTIVES

to identify the factors related to the use of religious coping in informal caregivers.

METHODS

integrative literature review carried out through a search in the databases LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL, in addition to the Virtual Health Library and SciELO. The study selected primary articles in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, using the descriptors Coping Behavior, Caregivers, Spirituality, and Religion, which were combined with each other and with synonyms. There was no time limit for the publications.

RESULTS

nine articles were selected. Factors related to the use of religious coping in informal caregivers included: having an advanced age, experiencing traumatic situations, being under overload, being a spouse or mother, caring for hospitalized individuals, or for those with chronic diseases and high degrees of dependence.

CONCLUSIONS

the factors related to the use of religious coping are multifaceted and involve physical, psychological, psychosocial, and situational aspects.

Religious Involvement, Depressive Symptoms, and Burden in Caregivers of Terminally Ill Patients

Caring for terminally ill patients can be emotionally burdensome. Previous research has demonstrated that caregiving is associated with anxiety and depression. Research on caregivers of terminally ill patients is limited by retrospective studies with small samples. This study aimed to (1) describe religiosity, religious coping, and depressive symptoms in caregivers of persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or advanced cancer; (2) examine the relationship between religiosity and depressive symptoms in caregivers of persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or advanced cancer; (3) examine the relationship between religious coping and depressive symptoms in caregivers of persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or advanced cancer. A descriptive exploratory design was used to analyze data from a larger 5-year National Institutes of Health-funded multisite randomized controlled trial (the TAILORED study). Nearly half of the caregivers screened positive for depressive symptoms, and negative religious coping was associated with higher depressive symptoms (P < .001). Spouse caregivers reported higher depressive symptoms than nonspouse caregivers. Many caregivers experienced depression, which was mitigated by positive religious coping.

Influence of Religiosity on the Saudi Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward Older People and Perceptions on Elderly Care

This cross-sectional study examined the influence of Saudi nursing students' religiosity on their attitudes toward older people and on their perceptions of elderly care. A sample of 175 nursing students of a government university in Saudi Arabia was surveyed using the Kogan's Attitudes toward Older People Scale, the Perspectives on Caring for Older Adults Scale, and the Muslim Religious Index. The students reported they are religious, they have modest attitudes toward older people, and they have neutral perception about elderly care. Religiosity showed a positive influence on the students' attitudes toward older people and on their perceptions about elderly care.

Anxiety in Relatives of Patients Admitted to Cardiac Care Units and its Relationship with Spiritual Health and Religious Coping

OBJECTIVES

This work sought to determine the level of anxiety in relatives of patients admitted to CCUs and its relationship with spiritual health and religious coping.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 relatives of Cardiac Care Units patients in Jahrom, Iran. Required data was collected using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Paloutzian-Ellison Spiritual Well Being Scale (SWBS), and the Pargament Brief RCOPE questionnaire.

RESULTS

The results showed that both levels of state and trait anxiety were moderate and the level of total spiritual health was high. Anxiety score had an inverse relationship with spiritual health (r=-0.52) and a direct relationship with negative religious coping score (r=0.25). However, no significant relationship was found between total anxiety score and positive religious coping (p < 0.05). There was a direct relationship between spiritual health and positive religious coping (r=0.19), and an inverse relationship between spiritual health and negative religious coping (r=-0.36).

CONCLUSIONS

According to the findings of the study, it is suggested to paying attention to the reinforcement of spiritual attitudes, beliefs, and religious coping strategies to reduce their anxiety in CCU patients.

Caregiving burden among informal caregivers of people with disability

OBJECTIVE

Chinese informal caregivers experience burden due to their caregiving responsibilities that violate their belief of reciprocal parent-child relationship, but little is known about this burden and coping processes among Chinese. It is believed that internal coping (i.e., self-reliance) and external coping (i.e., seeking help from others) better captured cultural characteristics of coping styles observed among Chinese. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of mental ill health, identify correlates, investigate the impact of caregiving burden on mental health, and explore the potentially moderating role of two coping strategies.

DESIGN

A purposive sample of 234 informal caregivers of family with intellectual or mental disability in Macao (SAR), China, from August to September 2018 was investigated.

METHODS

DASS-21, Caregiving Burden Inventory (CBI), Perceived Difficulty Scale (PD), and a modified Chinese Coping Scale were used. Multiple regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

CBI and PD were associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Whereas internal coping buffered the effect of PD on depression and anxiety, external coping exacerbated the effect of PD on anxiety and the effect of CBI on depression and anxiety.

CONCLUSION

Poor mental health among caregivers is associated with greater caregiving challenges and burdens. Internal coping helped to buffer but external coping worsened the effect of burdens on mental health outcomes. Interventions that improve internal coping and mental health might be helpful for ageing informal caregivers.

Role of Spirituality on the Association Between Depression and Quality of Life in Stroke Survivor-Care Partner Dyads

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the protective effect of spirituality on the association between known risk factors such as depression and quality of life (QOL) in stroke survivor-care partner dyads. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the moderating role of spirituality on the association between depressive symptomatology and QOL in stroke survivor-care partner dyads.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Longitudinal design with 223 stroke survivor-care partner dyads enrolled at survivor discharge from rehabilitation hospitals. Data collection was performed over 12 months. We measured survivors' and care partners' depression, quality of life, and spirituality. Examining the moderating role of spirituality on the association between depressive symptoms and QOL within survivor-care partner dyads, we used a traditional Actor-Partner-Interdependence Model and a basic Actor-Partner-Interdependence Model moderation model for a mixed variable. Survivors (51% male) and care partners (66% female) were 70.7 and 52.3 years old, respectively. The survivor's spirituality significantly moderated the association between care partner depressive symptomatology and survivor psychological QOL (B=0.03, P<0.05) and moderated the association between care partner depressive symptoms and care partner physical (B=0.05, P<0.001) and psychological (B=0.04, P<0.001) QOL. The care partner's own level of spirituality was significantly positively associated with their physical QOL (B=0.28, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings from this study have broad implications for the role of spirituality in relation to QOL in medical-health contexts and the importance of examining such concepts within a dyadic framework. Greater awareness of the importance of spirituality among clinicians and nurses may improve cultural competence in healthcare services.

Journaling for self-care and coping in mothers of troubled children in the community

AIM

This mixed method research explored the benefits of a six-week diary writing intervention, and the coping strategies utilized in a sample of affected mothers who have teenagers or adult children with emotional and/or behavioral issues.

METHODS

Participants were assigned to write either a best possible self or a gratitude journal, and asked to make entries at least three times per week for six weeks. A snowball sample of 34 mothers completed the six-week journal and post-test.

RESULTS

The findings of paired t-tests indicated statistically significant increases in optimism and gratitude levels after completing the writing intervention. The mothers commonly used coping methods for parental distress were emotion-and meaning-focused coping. The three themes of journal writing experience were positive thinking, emotional well-being, and mental health self-care.

CONCLUSION

The current study suggests that implementing a positive writing intervention is a practical means of promoting psychological well-being as a self-care strategy for this population.

Religious Coping in Caregiver of Patients with Acquired Brain Injuries

Caregivers play a crucial role in physical and psychological management in terms of assistance. For this reason, it is important for caregivers to find better coping strategies to minimize a possible physical and emotional burden. The aim of our study is to demonstrate how the religious coping can influence the burden of caregivers about health care of patients with severe brain injuries. Caregivers were, respectively, divided into two groups: 31 religious believers and 20 unbelievers. We submitted the questionnaires to participants, which investigate the caregiver burden, presence of depressive symptoms and kind of coping strategies adopted. Our results demonstrated that participants with religious belief used avoidance strategies more frequently compared to non-believers' group. We want to improve adaptive coping strategies to upgrade the awareness of caregiver, supporting burden and distress. A problem-solving training might improve quality of life in terms of social and psychological wellness.

Community-Based Mental Health Care: Stigma and Coping Strategies Among Professionals and Family Caregivers in the Eastern Region of Ghana

To a large extent caregivers perceive stigma through their social and community interactions by virtue of their association with persons with mental health problems. Meanwhile, evidence on their strategies for coping with potentially undesirable experiences linked with stigma is limited. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, the present study explored affiliate stigma among mental health professionals and family caregivers of persons with mental illness. Data, collected through one-on-one interviews with 10 mental health professionals and 10 family caregivers, were examined with content analysis. Findings revealed that, although stigma attached to mental illness was largely directed at sufferers and family caregivers, professionals sometimes had their fair share. To manage the negative impact of stigma, caregivers adopted various strategies including the use of realisation, tactical or planned ignoring, self-motivation, acceptance and religion. Implications of the findings necessitate the intensification of mental health education among the general populace, which must be targeted at demystifying mental illness.

Support Needs for Family Caregivers of Clients with Mental Illness in Iran: A Qualitative Study

This paper explored the support needs of family caregivers of people living with a mental illness in Iran. This descriptive study focused on the experiences of 20 family caregivers as well as the views of 29 professional support workers through individual face-to-face interviews. From these interviews three key themes emerged in regards to the care needs of family caregivers: (i) social support; (ii) emotional support; and (iii) safety and security. These themes highlighted the complex role of caring for a family member with a mental illness and the emotional, social and economic challenges that these caregivers experienced as a result. Iranian caregivers garnered support not only from other family members but also from neighbors and religious leaders but lacked the much needed respite care found in western countries. This research study highlighted the importance of ensuring that the caregivers themselves receive appropriate and adequate support to fulfill their caregiving role.