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International Journal of Social Psychiatry, Vol. 54, No. 4, 358-369 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0020764008090794

Whose Life Am I Living? Relatives Living in the Shadow of Depression

Sigrid Stjernswärd

Health and Society, Malmö University, 205 06 Malmö, Sweden, sigrid.stjernsward{at}mah.se

Margareta Östman

Health and Society, Malmö University, 205 06 Malmö, Sweden

Background: Families living with mental illness experience added burden and need information and support.

Aim: This aim of this study was to explore the experiences of families living close to a depressed individual.

Methods: Eighteen persons were interviewed individually or in focus groups. Data was analysed using a grounded theory-inspired methodology.

Results: Most participants expressed a feeling of not living their own life, struggling to balance relationships, adapting to and re-evaluating their life circumstances, and struggling to voice their ill relatives' and their own needs.

Conclusions: More can be done to help and sustain hope in the relatives of persons with depression.

Key Words: depression • family burden • support • grounded theory • interviews • focus groups


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