ABSTRACT
Objectives
To characterize the families that use a psychiatric service in Cabo Verde/Africa, regarding socio-demographic issues and the most frequent mental disorders that affect their family members; to identify the needs considered as priorities by the families that live with a person with a mental disorder in this context.
Method
Exploratory qualitative study, conducted in 2016, with data obtained from 100 medical records from 2010 to 2015 in a psychiatric service, and interviews with 30 family members. Subsequently, the data were subjected to thematic analysis.
Results
The families of people with mental disorders on Santiago Island are poor; the caregivers are predominantly female, single, and resident in the city of Praia. When caring for the ill family member, they face several difficulties, such as the lack of support from health professionals and services and from the social network, in addition to the fact that they do not feel included in the care process and have limited training to take care of the ill family member.
Conclusion and Implications for practice
There is a need to recognize the family as a target for care and training aimed at the continuity of care for the ill family member. The study points to the need to review health policies to improve mental health care in primary care.
Keywords:
Mental Disorders; Mental Health; Family; Psychiatric Nursing