TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - A journey of discovery: experiences of carers of people with mental illness seeking diagnosis and treatment for their relative
JO  - Issues in mental health nursing
A1  - Olasoji, Michael
A1  - Maude, Phil
A1  - McCauley, Kay
SP  - 219
EP  - 228
VL  - 37
IS  - 4
N2  - This study explores the experiences of informal carers of people with mental illness in an Australian mental health service. A qualitative descriptive approach was used with data collected via focus group interviews with a purposive sample of 19 carers. Data analysis revealed two major themes: (a) "Something is not right" and (b) "Now we have a diagnosis." The carers noticed that there was something wrong with their relative before they received a diagnosis but were often hesitant to engage Mental Health services. Carers have trouble understanding if the problems they are witnessing are part of normal development, contemporary culture, or are symptoms of mental illness. Fear of stigma remains a barrier to accessing services and early diagnosis. <br><br>FINDINGS suggest a need to target support for informal carers in the period prior to and leading to the establishment of a mental health diagnosis.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0161-2840
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2015.1135492
ID  - ref1
ER  -