Resilience Qualities in Black Families Living With a Family Member Diagnosed With Schizophrenia in a South African Context

This research aimed to explore and describe resilience qualities in Black South African families living with a family member diagnosed with schizophrenia in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, South Africa. Through a qualitative, explorative-descriptive research design, seven purposefully sampled families were included. Data were collected through semi-structured family interviews and thematically analyzed. Three main themes were identified: experiences of living with a family member diagnosed with schizophrenia, challenges experienced by caregivers, and family strengths and resources used to cope. Findings are essentially emblematic of the general challenges experienced by family members living with a member diagnosed with schizophrenia and resilience qualities, such as family belief system, economic resources, access to disability grants, and Ubuntu. The findings highlight the need for family and community interventions and programs to address challenges faced by families caring for individuals with schizophrenia while also identifying existing resilience qualities and resources, both within and outside the family unit, that families can employ and that can help to inform the development of such programs and interventions.