Aim
The aim of the study is to produce novel insights into relatives’ perspectives on living with a depressed person in order to clarify the constitutive social conditions for involvement and how involvement may enable recovery of the depressed person.
Background
As a part of deinstitutionalization of in-hospital health care services in Denmark, there are weighty clinical and health political interest in involvement of relatives in treatment and rehabilitation of mentally ill individuals in order reduce human and societal costs following mental illness. However, studies show that involvement may burden the relatives significantly and may strain the relational ties between the ill person and the relative. Thus, a clarification of the relatives’ perspectives on involvement and the social conditions for it are pivotal to the optimization and restoration of a meaningful family- and work life of the depressed person. This study of involvement processes addresses the conditions for and how relatives and individuals suffering from unipolar depression practice their joint engagements in problems concerning the illness within the family.
Methodology
The study is a multisited field work. Data is produced by gathering different policy materials, by talking to (interviews), interacting (participant observation) with relatives, depressed individuals and professionals in places and at times relevant to involvement such as in the families’ homes or in psychiatric hospitals. This strategy is well suited to gain insight into how the dominant practices of involvement between depressed individuals and their relatives are constituted by specific conditions across the families’ homes, clinical settings and political sites.
Keywords
Social rehabilitation, depression, user perspectives, social science, critical psychiatric research, field work, qualitative methods
Ph.d.-studerende: Jeppe Oute Hansen
Periode: 2011-2016 (forsvar: 26. februar 2016)
Ansættelse: Institut for Sundhedstjenesteforskning, Syddansk Universitet
Vejledere:
Lotte Huniche, Lektor, Forskningsenheden for Brugerperspektiver, IST, Syddansk Universitet (hovedvejleder)
Connie T. Nielsen, Ledende overlæge, Klinisk Lektor, Psykiatrien Kolding-Vejle.
Anders Petersen, Lektor, Institut for Sociologi og Socialt Arbejde, Aalborg Universitet.