The Nature and Sources of Hope: Perspectives of Family Caregivers of People With Serious Mental Illness

PURPOSE: To explore the importance and meaning of hope for family members of people with mental illness. METHODS: Focused in-depth interviews with 16 family members in Queensland and Tasmania, Australia. FINDINGS: The data confirm the argument that hopefulness appears to be central to a family's coping with the impact of mental illness. Their definitions of hope, descriptions of what they hoped for, and the sources of their hope reflect issues of future orientation, positive expectation, and realism. Families drew their hopefulness from both formal and informal supports, from within and without. CONCLUSIONS: Health professionals need to be respectful of family hopes and aware of the role of hope and time in the process of grief and acceptance. Nurses should be mindful of their capacity to sustain or diminish the hopes of family members.