Locked out during COVID-19 lockdown—an online survey of relatives of people with psychotic and bipolar disorders in Norway

BMC Public Health

Carmen Simonsen¹  Elizabeth Ann Barrett¹  Erlend Mork¹  Kristin Lie Romm²  Sofie R. Aminoff²  Trine Vik Lagerberg³  Ingrid Melle⁴  Wenche ten Velden Hegelstad⁵ 

[1] Early Intervention in Psychosis Advisory Unit for Southeast Norway, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway;Early Intervention in Psychosis Advisory Unit for Southeast Norway, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway;Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway;Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway;Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway;Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway;TIPS Centre for Clinical Research in Psychosis, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway;Institute of Social Studies Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway;

关键词: COVID-19;    Pandemic;    Bipolar disorders;    Psychotic disorders;    Relatives;    Contingency plans;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-022-12625-y

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundMany relatives of people with psychotic and bipolar disorders experience a high caregiver burden normally. During the first COVID-19 lockdown, mental health services partly shut down in many countries. The impact on relatives is unknown.AimsExplore how relatives of people with psychotic and bipolar disorders experienced changes in treatment and service availability for their family member during the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in the spring of 2020, and to what extent they perceived information and support to be satisfactory. To help guide future contingency plans, we were also interested in what relatives would prioritize in the event of a future crisis.Study settingWe distributed an anonymous Norwegian online survey inviting relatives of individuals with psychotic and bipolar disorders. We distributed the survey using social media, through snowball sampling, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. The survey was available between May and June 2020. We used systematic text condensation to analyse qualitative data.ResultsTwo hundred and seventy-nine respondents replied, mostly mothers and partners. A majority experienced a reduction in health care for their family member. Most respondents did not receive any support during the lockdown. However, most found the information they received from the mental health services regarding their family members’ treatment as sufficient. The qualitative data analysis revealed that relatives experienced three major challenges: reductions in treatment for the family member; reduced organised daily activity for the family member; and an increased caretaker load. In the case of a future lockdown, they would prefer increased access to care compared with a normal situation; increased support for relatives; and enhanced information.ConclusionsMental health services in Norway did not manage to meet the needs of patients with severe mental illness and their relatives during the first COVID-19 lockdown. To be better prepared, Norwegian mental health services should consider prioritising infrastructure to ensure access to care and support for both patients and relatives. Digital tools and telephone calls are generally well accepted as substitutes for face-to-face contact.

【 授权许可】

CC BY