Carers & Mental Health
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Tania Ewin, Senior Project Officer
Partners in Depression
A mental health initiative of….
Program funded by….
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Today’s session
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Introductions
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Partners in Depression:
Program overview
Building awareness
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Acknowledging the carer experience
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Purposeful coping
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Communication skills
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Self-care
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What is the Partners in Depression
program?
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6 x 2 hour weekly group education sessions for people who
support a person with depression (‘carers’, ‘loved ones’,
‘partners’, family or friends)
For groups of between 4 and 12 participants
Aims to address the information and support needs of those
who care for a person with depression.
Adult education program for people aged 16 years and over
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What do we know about
“caring” & mental health?
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beyondblue Research:
1.
Lack of broader social support
2.
Lack of respect or engagement by healthcare providers
3.
Importance of support groups or agencies
4.
Direct impact of depression on carers
5.
Impact of depression on intimate relationships
Source: Highet, McNair, Davenport and Hickie (2004)
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Research indicates:
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Families and carers of people with mental health problems
provide assistance and support to the person they care for,
and indeed for mental health services, which would
otherwise be overwhelmed by the demands placed
upon them
However, in order to continue providing optimum care,
carers themselves require support and assistance
Source: Hayman (2005)
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Research indicates:

Caregivers are reluctant to prioritise their own needs
alongside or equal to those they care for and almost always
presume that their needs do not justify intervention
Source: Muscroft & Bowl (2000)
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Positive aspects of caring
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Sense of purpose
Strengthened connection with the person you are caring for
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including communication
Increased knowledge of the illness/diagnosis and the health
system
Looking after yourself
Early warning signs are important.
It is important to recognise what they are:
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More moody or irritable
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Just not wanting to see people
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Sleeping more/less
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Eating more/less
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Getting easily tired
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Giving up on exercise
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Not wanting to deal with day-to-day things (opening mail,
paying bills etc.)
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Putting off deadlines
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Putting off housework/other responsibilities
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Insight into Caring & Support
Carer Life
Course Framework
The
support
role
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Purposeful coping
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Pro-active rather than reactive coping
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Change in mindset as well as changes in behaviour toward
the person you are caring for
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Have knowledge and skills to be able to handle old situations
in a different way
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Purposeful coping
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In pairs…
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Any thoughts or comments about this phase?
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What would have to change in your current situation for
you to enter this phase?
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Changes in the person you are caring for
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Changes in you
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Changes in the situation you are currently in
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Can you see yourself ever in this phase?
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Communication
Communication without words!
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In pairs, try to communicate 3 things about yourself without
using words!
Effective communication
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Being able to communicate effectively is an important part
of any relationship
Improving communication skills can reduce the level of
frustration and stress in the family and can facilitate healthy
interactions
Caregivers often report worry about the high level of stress in
the household and the nature of relationships within the
family unit
Source: Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria (2003)
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Effective communication
Four basic communication skills:
1
Levelling
2
Listening
3
Validating
4
‘I’ statements
Source: Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria (2003)
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1 Levelling
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Effective communication can only occur when both parties
know all the relevant information (thoughts, feelings
and facts)
Levelling involves giving the other person information about
your thoughts and feelings, rather than expecting them to
read your mind
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2 Listening
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This involves not just hearing but actively processing what
others say
It is important to pay attention to what others are saying
rather than to what you are going to say next
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3 Validating
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This involves communicating to the other person that you
have heard their position or opinion
It is not necessary for you to understand or even agree
with others
It is important to recognise and accept other people’s rights
to feel and think as they do
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4 ‘I’ statements
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Begin what you say with ‘I’
By doing this, you take responsibility for your own wants,
thoughts and feelings rather than putting the responsibility or
blame on the other person
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Communicating ‘No’
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At times it is difficult to say ‘No’ to requests that you do not
want to meet
Saying ‘No’ means that you set limits on other people’s
demands for your time and energy, when such demands
conflict with your needs and desires
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Communicating ‘No’
Three-step procedure:
1 Acknowledge the other person’s request
2 Explain your reason for declining
3 Say ‘No’
Example
I know you would like me to give you $20 (acknowledgement), but I
have already given you money last week (explanation) and I can’t
give you any more now (saying ‘No’).
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Verbal and non-verbal communication
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According to research, in a conversation:
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Words are 7% effective
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Tone of voice is 38% effective
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Non-verbal clues are 55% effective
Non-verbal communication includes facial expressions, eye
contact, body posture and movements
What you say is not nearly as important as how you say it
Source: Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria, 2003
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Tips for non-verbal communication
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Make yourself comfortable with the other person
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Be relaxed and attentive
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Maintain frequent eye contact
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Give simple nods of approval
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Keep gestures smooth and unobtrusive
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Use an average rate of speech (or a bit slower)
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Maintain a clearly audible voice
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Avoid using feet and legs as a barrier
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Smile when appropriate
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Stay alert through long conversations
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Self-Care
Caring for self: Benefits & Barriers
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What are the benefits of caring for yourself ?
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What stops you from taking time and looking after yourself ?
Write down your responses.
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Caring for self: Reasons & Risks
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What are the reasons for NOT taking the time to look after
yourself ?
What are the risks of NOT taking the time to look after
yourself?
Write down your responses.
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Self-care activities and strategies
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Look at the list of self-care strategies
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Choose 2 activities to try out this week
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Schedule in the day and time (morning, afternoon, evening)
when you will try these activities
Note how you feel when thinking about and carrying out
these activities
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www.partnersindepression.com.au
What self-care will you do this week?