Through their eyes: Exploring the experiences of individuals living with a person with depressio
Regent’s University London, Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4NS United Kingdom.
Review Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 22(03), 1284–1295
Publication history:
Received on 05 May 2024; revised on 18 June 2024; accepted on 21 June 2024
Abstract:
Those living with individuals with depression often have an important role to play in providing care to a family member. This can impose stress and burden on the caregiver. Despite an abundance of research focusing on individuals with depression, there is little research available in the literature on individuals living with a person with depression. The purpose of the current study was to explore the lived experiences of these individuals. A qualitative design using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed to address this area of inquiry. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with five individuals living with a person with depression who were recruited using purposive sampling. Three superordinate themes with several subordinate themes were identified from the collected data. The superordinate themes where: 1) the change in perspectives about depression and the person with depression; 2) the impact on personal, social, and professional lives; 3) coping strategies and resilience. These findings underpin how living with a person with depression can significantly impact personal relationships and daily lives of those around them and the range of emotional and social challenges faced by family members. Caregivers must develop strategies to cope and find inner resilience. This study contributes a richer understanding of the perspectives of caregivers and identifies a need for proper widespread support. Future research could aim to develop tailored interventions that address the challenges faced by caregivers of people with depression.
Keywords:
Depression; Mental Health; Caregiving; Qualitative
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Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0