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Mental health
Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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Becoming a carer :
Becoming a mental health carer
Reasons for caring and carers' qualities
How caring affects carers :
Working life and life opportunities
Relationship to the person cared for
Children, family and social life
Stress and carers' health
Negative attitudes to mental health problems
Looking after yourself and getting help :
Getting the balance right
Support from family, friends and community
Support from spirituality and religion
Support from carers' services
Carers' assessments
Caring for someone with a mental health problem :
Giving emotional and practical support
Taking control - difficult situations and medication
Carers' views: mental health problems & causes
Carers' views on treatment and cure
Carers' experiences with mental health services :
Services and minority ethnic communities
Carers' voice and confidentiality issues
Working with GPs and Psychiatric Consultants
Dealing with hospitals
Services in the community
What carers want :
What different cultures can teach us
Carers advice for support and information services
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
Subject index
Clip
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a son or daughter
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Miriam - Interview 05
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A friendly doctor took time to talk properly to Miriam and her son.
Miriam carers for her son who is in his late twenties. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but she thinks what he has is drugs infused psychosis.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a son or daughter
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Nick - Interview 02
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Despite the attitudes of professionals, Nick involves himself but always asks his son's permission.
Nick and his wife have cared for their son with paranoid schizophrenia for almost 12 years. In the beginning Nick didn't feel heard by health professionals, but today he is a very involved.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a parent
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Nita - Interview 12
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Nita thinks professionals should give time to both carers and patients.
Nita cares for her mother who is diagnosed with manic depression. She thinks it is essential that carers have their own needs met and that they get support to come to terms with the loss and hurt they may feel.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for other or more than one relative
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Guo - Interview 14
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In the USA Gou could go to weekly meetings at the hospital and talk to health professionals about his son.
Guo has been caring for two sons with bi-polar disorder for over twenty years. He doesn't think the current services meet the needs of people with mental health problems.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for their husband, wife or partner
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Aiko - Interview 17
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Aiko thinks services should be more open minded and listen to people from different cultures.
Aiko has been caring for her husband who suffers from complex post traumatic stress syndrome, bi-polar disorder and severe depression for seven years. She believes mental health services should address the needs of the whole family.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a parent
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Elaine - Interview 32
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Elaine talks about how she felt when the social services wanted to section her father (played by an actor).
Elaine was the main carer for her father for the last four years of his life. He suffered from vascular dementia and Elaine feels both he as a patient and she as a carer were let down by the system.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a son or daughter
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Nick - Interview 02
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Nick lost confidence when he was told that his son's symptoms were the result of his parenting.
Nick and his wife have cared for their son with paranoid schizophrenia for almost 12 years. In the beginning Nick didn't feel heard by health professionals, but today he is a very involved.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a sister or brother
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Ramila - Interview 13
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Ramila says 'you just know' racism is there, even if it is difficult to explain.
Ramila has been caring for her brother who is diagnosed with schizophrenia for ten years. She thinks carers and service users deserve to be treated with more respect.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a sister or brother
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Sophie - Interview 09
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Sophie says we all notice race, but the problem comes when workers make decisions based on stereotypes.
Sophie has always had a caring role for her sister Angel. Angel is diognosed with Schizophrenia, but Sophie thinks this diagnosis is based on behaviour resulting from inappropriate medication of a mental disability and behavioral problems.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for other or more than one relative
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Guo - Interview 14
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Gou has been called racist names and told to 'go home' many times, but he avoids confrontation.
Guo has been caring for two sons with bi-polar disorder for over twenty years. He doesn't think the current services meet the needs of people with mental health problems.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for other or more than one relative
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Raye - Interview 30
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Raye thinks there is racism in mental health services and in society generally.
Raye grew up with mental health problems in the family. Today, she is the main carer for her father (paranoid schizophrenia), her sister (schizophrenia) and her brother (manic depression). She now feels she needs to let go of some of the responsibilities and focus on her own life.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a son or daughter
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Miriam - Interview 05
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Miriam says patient confidentiality is tricky when it puts people at risk.
Miriam carers for her son who is in his late twenties. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but she thinks what he has is drugs infused psychosis.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a son or daughter
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Sarah - Interview 25
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Sarah says carers recognise signs missed by professionals who don't really know the person (played by an actor).
Sarah cares for her son who has shcizophrenia. She is active in several carer's oganisations.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a sister or brother
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Ramila - Interview 13
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Ramila got frustrated when she rang the surgery and they refused to tell her if her brother's test results were back.
Ramila has been caring for her brother who is diagnosed with schizophrenia for ten years. She thinks carers and service users deserve to be treated with more respect.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a son or daughter
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Miriam - Interview 05
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Miriam thinks regular communication between families and professionals can help prevent crises.
Miriam carers for her son who is in his late twenties. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but she thinks what he has is drugs infused psychosis.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for their husband, wife or partner
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Ramanbhai - Interview 27
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Ramanbhai comes along to his wife's consultations and they meet the psychiatrist together after she has been seen on her own.
Ramanbhai is a full time carer for his wife who suffers from depression. It took many years before she diagnosed, and she has other health issues as well.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a son or daughter
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Jane - Interview 22
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Jane thinks carers today are speaking up and being listened to more than before (played by an actor).
For the last 20 years Jane and her husband has cared for their daughter Sarah, who has schizophrenia. She worries about what will happen to their daughter when they are not around anymore.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for their husband, wife or partner
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Aiko - Interview 17
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Patient confidentiality needs to be explained to people who are new to the UK and patients should be able to decide to have carers with them.
Aiko has been caring for her husband who suffers from complex post traumatic stress syndrome, bi-polar disorder and severe depression for seven years. She believes mental health services should address the needs of the whole family.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a son or daughter
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Tina - Interview 18
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She says the hospital wanted her to sign sectioning papers while 'bluffing' about what was actually going on, and not helping her with English transla
Tina cares for her son who suffers from mental health problems and she is also working as a carer for people with mental health problems at an Asian community centre.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a parent
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Elaine - Interview 32
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Elaine felt the psychiatrist questioned her mental health because she was a 'difficult relative' (played by an actor).
Elaine was the main carer for her father for the last four years of his life. He suffered from vascular dementia and Elaine feels both he as a patient and she as a carer were let down by the system.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a son or daughter
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Agnes - Interview 29
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Agnes was told she had to leave the hospital for her daughter's test, but was not told why.
Agnes has been caring for her daughter, who has OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and depression, for four years.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for other or more than one relative
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Indira - Interview 08
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She says professional home carers make remarks because she is Asian and Muslim.
Indira has been caring for her aunt who has Alzheimer's disease for five years. She believes older people deserve to be treated with respect.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a son or daughter
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Jane - Interview 22
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It used to be very difficult to communicate with her daughter, but now they are friends (played by an actor).
For the last 20 years Jane and her husband has cared for their daughter Sarah, who has schizophrenia. She worries about what will happen to their daughter when they are not around anymore.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a sister or brother
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Sophie - Interview 09
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Sophie says doctors sometimes don't talk to you to protect 'their own'.
Sophie has always had a caring role for her sister Angel. Angel is diognosed with Schizophrenia, but Sophie thinks this diagnosis is based on behaviour resulting from inappropriate medication of a mental disability and behavioral problems.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for their husband, wife or partner
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Wei - Interview 31
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Wei's husband is not communicating with her and she finds that very hard (recording in Chinese).
Wei has been caring for her husband since he got mental health problems more than 20 years ago.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a son or daughter
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Miriam - Interview 05
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Miriam understands that her young son might see her involvement as 'nagging' when he wants to live a normal life.
Miriam carers for her son who is in his late twenties. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but she thinks what he has is drugs infused psychosis.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for their husband, wife or partner
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Ramanbhai - Interview 27
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Getting annoyed or angry didn't work and Ramanbhai now speaks to his wife in a gentle, comforting way.
Ramanbhai is a full time carer for his wife who suffers from depression. It took many years before she diagnosed, and she has other health issues as well.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for a sister or brother
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Ramila - Interview 13
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Her brother is never violent when he is unwell, but when he doesn't want to talk to her she worries for his safety.
Ramila has been caring for her brother who is diagnosed with schizophrenia for ten years. She thinks carers and service users deserve to be treated with more respect.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for their husband, wife or partner
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Kiran - Interview 26
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He tries to avoid arguments by talking to his wife in a calm, gentle way (recording in Gujarati).
Kiran has been caring for his wife for seven years. She has a lot of health issues and it took over 20 years to find out that depression was an important part of her problems.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences
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People caring for other or more than one relative
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Raye - Interview 30
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As a teenager she was 'freaked out' by her father's irrational thoughts.
Raye grew up with mental health problems in the family. Today, she is the main carer for her father (paranoid schizophrenia), her sister (schizophrenia) and her brother (manic depression). She now feels she needs to let go of some of the responsibilities and focus on her own life.
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