Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
Taking control - difficult situations and medication
Making sure people are safe
Carers said they at times needed to take control over difficult situations because the people they cared for could not look after themselves, or because they didn't admit to being unwell. Many needed to make sure the person they cared for (and others) were safe because they could make mistakes like accidentally leaving gas or water taps on, or leave the house without locking up. Others made sure their relative brought keys and mobile phones with them when they went out and that they kept their handbag or other belongings safe.
During difficult periods, many wanted to stay with the person they cared for. These participants thought it would not be safe to leave them alone if they were very unwell, upset, or hallucinating. If they could not stay with the person, they 'travelled backwards and forwards' to 'keep an eye on things'. Several people said that their relative tended to 'wander about', and some had gone missing for days.
She had a terrifying time when her husband went missing for four days.
She had a terrifying time when her husband went missing for four days.
They didn't detect that he was in need of help?
No, no. They didn't. In spite of the fact that there was a fax. And in spite of the fact that the police were supposed to have a computerised, you know, -that he went on the national computer actually, but when they picked him up and took him to hospital, nobody had the wits to check whether there was anybody of that description sort of, reported missing, you know. And so we spent four days really, four days which were horrible because, you know, when you don't know what happened to somebody who is not quite capable of navigating the streets and the transport system and all that, it's worrying. But then he turned up at the friend's house on the Friday night. And they phoned me and I picked him up from there laughs. And he was a bit dirty, dehydrated, had lost a bit of weight, but no harm had come to him, somehow.
Anne says she still needs to look after herself even when her husband goes missing.
Anne says she still needs to look after herself even when her husband goes missing.
Mental health problems can affect patient and carers' social worlds more widely, and some talked about needing to calm their loved one down so as not to cause problems, or avoid conflict with neighbours and friends. But most of the carers said their relative would never be aggressive or violent.
Her brother is never violent when he is unwell, but when he doesn't want to talk to her she knows something is wrong.
Her brother is never violent when he is unwell, but when he doesn't want to talk to her she knows something is wrong.
He gets all these voices and he keeps them to himself. I think he's quite protective of them in a sense although they're quite annoying voices, quite a lot of times. He doesn't want to share what is going on. But the few times he'll share. And last night he had some kind of, -bit of psychosis 'blip' I think, and I was in another room. And he was just shouting and screaming in the room. And then, you know, I asked him what was going on, and he tried to explain and, but he was very angry. His face gets very angry and, but you know, it can be very fearful. Fortunately, I've been with him long enough, I've gone through these sort of incidences a few times, so I know that I don't fear for myself or for any violence or, -and I also possibly know how far to stretch him. I would know when to stop.
Like I was saying that my brother rings me every morning, or if I, nowadays he's, -for the last year or so he hasn't been well, physically, for some problem but, so he doesn't manage to get up early enough sometimes. So then I ring him. And this morning I tried to ring him and he wouldn't answer the phone so here I am, sitting here. And lots of, I mean, these sort of things have happened so, over the last, past month I've decided I'm not going to worry so much about my brother really. That I've worried enough, I can do the very best, -it may not be good enough- and leave it at that. But today it, -anything could have happened.
A few of the carers mentioned that their loved one could get violent when unwell and emphasised that it is important to understand such situations from the inside and not judge from the outside. Some had at times needed to protect themselves or other family members, sometimes by calling the police (see 'Services in the community').
Carers also said they sometimes needed to protect the person they cared for against bad treatment from other relatives or from services. People made comments such as 'if I was not around, would checks be done, would he be safe?'
Sophie worries that her sister is taken advantage of in the residential care home.
Sophie worries that her sister is taken advantage of in the residential care home.
So it's frightening, it really is frightening because when they're out there in the system, they're taken advantage, -they have a disadvantage anyway which is their disability but they're even more disadvantaged when this, this system that is there to protect these vulnerable people is not protecting them at all in many, many ways in many forms. Her money used to go missing, it was just stuff like that, they never bought her any clothes and the things never fit her and just those basic things that would make her life a little bit more comfortable were not happening, were not happening. Who's responsible? I don't know. Where do you go? I don't really know, to take this further. As I said, it's not going to stop there because I still have to keep on fighting to find out how things can be improved, not just for her but for other people.
Some felt they needed to make sure their relative was safe in hospitals (see 'Dealing with hospitals'). One carer had even 'smuggled' her relative out of a general hospital ward because she thought staying there would be detrimental to him.
Dealing with difficult behaviour
People with mental health problems sometimes act in ways that those around them find difficult to cope with (see 'Relationship to the person cared for').
The carers we spoke to talked about everyday irritations, such 'endlessly walking up and down', shouting, talking to themselves or asking the same questions again and again. Some said they often ended up arguing with the person they cared for.
He tries to avoid arguments by talking to his wife in a calm, gentle way (recording in Gujarati).
He tries to avoid arguments by talking to his wife in a calm, gentle way (recording in Gujarati).
My typical day if we sit the two of us at home, then both of us will argue about something or another. There is nothing worth arguing about, it's nothing in it. It's usually about eating. She has diabetes but will not like to eat. Instead of getting up at 6 am, today she got up at 5.30 in the morning and she kept working and at 9 am she had an appointment for her diabetes. She did not worry about the time but starting arguing. To get my Mrs out of the house there are arguments and to get her back into the house there are arguments. If someone came and sat in the house then she does not worry.
So how do you have to help?
I have to keep reminding and nag her. If I keep doing the nagging then she gets depressed, she starts crying and her mind does not work. I have to say gently that, 'I am not telling you off but I am telling you about the time'. I tell her, 'Look at the time. We can come back and do the housework when we get back. I do not want you doing the work. We can do the housework when we get back'. When I say that she says no you do not need to do the work I have to do the work. If we do not go out of the house then its sayonara [everything is ok].
Others talked about how their relative talked irrationally or had paranoid thoughts.
When very unwell, some people talked about suicide and their carers said they had to monitor their behaviour closely. Some described what it was like dealing with emergencies and suicidal thinking or suicide attempts.
As a carer, she is clearer than the professionals that her husband experiences strong side...
As a carer, she is clearer than the professionals that her husband experiences strong side...
People had found ways of interacting with their loved one when they were unwell, 'catatonic' or 'catastrophising'. People said it is important to keep calm, to speak gently without raising your voice and explain clearly what is going on and that 'the world is not coming to an end'. Some people said keeping eye contact was helpful, but for others this could make their relative more agitated.
One woman said her relative could feel very helpless and said she used to 'remind him I am here' to support him, which would help calm him down. Others said it helped to leave their loved one for a few minutes or an hour and then return to the situation.
Some carers said they were unable to 'control' their relative when they were unwell. Despite having 'tried all methods' some said hospitalisation was sometimes the only way to make sure their relative would not be hurt or get worse.
Looking after medication
Most carers thought medication was important in treating for mental health problems. A number of the carers we spoke to said they collected prescriptions and medicine for their relative to make sure he or she got it. Some arranged injections and other consultations with GP surgeries or hospitals, and one woman, together with other relatives, brought her husband to hospital every day for his medicine. Others said they needed to remind the person they cared for to take their medicine, and some would ring every day to check.
Some of these carers said it was 'a struggle' to get the person they cared for to take the medicine because of really unpleasant side effects or because they thought they didn't need it. A few of carers found it hard to know how much to tell their relative about possible side effects because 'it may mean he won't take it'.
Not taking medication could lead to relapses, and several carers said the person they cared for could lose control or get violent when they stopped taking it. Some said they noticed signs of their relative getting worse when they had missed their medicine for a couple of days.
Amar felt awful when she had to have her mother sectioned because her mother refused medication,...
Amar felt awful when she had to have her mother sectioned because her mother refused medication,...
How did that feel?
That felt awful. It felt terrible. However, when she got there she just did' like if she's come on a holiday and she treated the place, she sort of went back to work, she was, what she was doing was before, -she's a very regimented woman, she had a schedule and nobody can change it and that involves her self care, prayers, exercise and walks etc and she was walking in the park near drug addicts, alcoholics and if they say anything and she in her mental health, she would say things and I was always worried about her and she was letting people in, who she didn't know and then she went back to her work, who got rid of her, forced through the security system a few times, so a number of things were happening and she wasn't letting family in, the other kids.
When his son stopped taking his medicine he ended up hitting Nick.
When his son stopped taking his medicine he ended up hitting Nick.
People also talked about how they also needed to take control over medication for other conditions, such as diabetes, because the mental health problem made their relative forgetful.
Last reviewed September 2018.
Last updated November 2010.
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