A qualitative narrative analysis of family carers supporting young adults in the early stages of psychosis

Considerable evidence exists to support family carers’ positive impact on the recovery of young adults with psychotic illness. Despite best practice documents that champion family inclusion, many family carers experience obstructions to their involvement in care. The current study aims to trace commonly occurring episodes in the stories of carers of young adults with psychosis to gain a deeper understanding of their narrative and identify points in their stories where intervention and system support were needed. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 8) were conducted with carers who support a young adult with a psychotic illness. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and coded using narrative analysis. Common episodes in the families’ stories were arranged into a meta-narrative, and common themes were situated under each meta-episode. Meta-episodes synthesized from the data were (1) Blurry boundary between typical and atypical development, (2) Escalation of psychiatric symptoms, (3) Crisis event, (4) Repeated interactions with the healthcare system, (5) Hospitalization, and (6) Ongoing recovery. Family carers experience a tumultuous and traumatic journey through the mental health system as they grieve losses within their family, support their loved one’s recovery, and advocate for their loved one’s care. This study raises consciousness about the carers’ journey as they walk alongside a loved one with psychosis, calling on care teams to empathize with families, honour lived experience, prioritize carers as partners in care, and fortify carers with skills and education.