EXPERIENCES OF LIVING WITH A PARENT SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS: EXPLORATION OF PHENOMENON OF SUPPORT
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Date
0023-06-18
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KINNAIRD COLLEGE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Abstract
The young adults who have parents suffering from any mental illness come across many
challenges in their lives. However, there is very little information on the experiences of young
adults as well as on the sources of support regarding our society. This research was conducted to
fill the gap by exploring the experiences and challenges of those living with mentally ill parent
and the sources of support they received while taking care of their parent. For this purpose,
phenomenology was used to gain the insight of their experiences and in-depth interviews were
conducted. The sample size consisted of four participants and the sampling strategy used was
purposive sampling. The age range of participants were from 18-24 years. The data collected was
analyzed using thematic analysis which generated four major themes (a) Experiences (Daily
routine, looking after the parent and impact on family life) (b) Challenges (emotional, social,
financial, family challenges and the effects on self) (c) Support (family, friends, mental health
professionals, self-help and coping mechanisms) and (d) Parental relationships (parental absence,
range of emotions and changes in parental role). They reported a variety of emotional challenges
they faced which persisted in their adulthood. Support from family and role of parents had
significant effects on the lives of participants. More researches are required to learn about the
experiences of young adults and will encourage others to seek help. It will help mental health
professionals to take mental health of these young adults into account. It will help reduce the
stigma of mental illness and will encourage the parents to improve their condition by seeking help
from professionals.