Coping strategies used by informal family caregivers of individuals living with mental illness in the Upper East Region of Ghana: a qualitative study

Background Caregivers’ responsibilities for caring for individuals living with mental illness have grown in the last three decades, owing mostly to the transition of mental health treatment from institutions to community-based psychiatric services. Due to the burden that ensues with caring for individuals living with mental illness, many caregivers adopt different strategies to deal with the challenges. Objective This study aimed to explore the coping strategies of informal family caregivers of individuals living with mental illness in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Design The study adopted a descriptive qualitative study design. Fitheen informal family caregivers were purposively sampled from two hospitals in the Upper East Region of Ghana Setting and participants The study was conducted in the Upper East Region of Ghana among informal family caregivers of individuals living with mental illness. Results Four themes emerged from the analysis of the data including self-motivation, religious coping, social support and engagement in leisure activities. While some family caregivers received support from family members, most of them were self-motivated, resorted to prayer, kept faith in God and engaged in leisure activities to cope with the burden of caregiving. Conclusion Informal family caregivers experience several challenges and therefore adopt different strategies to cope with the burden of caregiving. They require psychoeducation to understand the burden and to adapt acceptable coping mechanisms.