Carers' views on treatment and cure

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 >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for their husband, wife or partner >> Emily - Interview 19 >> She believes mental illness is a spiritual illness which needs treatment such as prayer and worship, but God put doctors here to help us when we need

Emily has been caing for her husband who suffers from Schizophrenia since she came to the UK three years ago. She says her relationship to God gives her peace and makes her able to cope with a difficult situation.

Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for a son or daughter >> Sarah - Interview 25 >> She felt hope when a professor said that getting people with schizophrenia stable is not enough; we should aim for remission (played by an actor).

Sarah cares for her son who has shcizophrenia. She is active in several carer's oganisations.

Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for a son or daughter >> Sarah - Interview 25 >> She hopes for a breakthrough in medicine which can help her son live a better life (played by an actor).

Sarah cares for her son who has shcizophrenia. She is active in several carer's oganisations.

Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for a son or daughter >> Jane - Interview 22 >> Her daughter is better after finally finding a medicine that works for her (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 >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for a son or daughter >> Tina - Interview 18 >> Tina thinks people need regular checks for suffer bad side effects from psychiatric medicines (played by an actor).

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 >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for their husband, wife or partner >> Anne - Interview 20 >> When her husband told a joke for the first time in over a year, Anne felt really hopeful.

Anne has been caring for her husband, who has severe depression, over the last four years. She has recently returned to part time work after having been a full time carer for some time. She believes it should be a requirement that health professionals listen to carers.

Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for a sister or brother >> Angela - Interview 15 >> Angela says God helped her brother get over his addiction to drugs, and so curing his illness.

Angela cared for her brother with mental health problems for much of her adult life. Once her brother was cured, she was finally able to get married and have a family, the absence of which had been as source of great pain for her.

Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for a parent >> Nita - Interview 12 >> Nita says that to be able to treat mental health problems, you need to enable people to talk and so reveal the root causes.

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 >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for their husband, wife or partner >> Wei - Interview 31 >> She sought Chinese spiritual cures for her husband's depression, but they didn't work (recording in Chinese).

Wei has been caring for her husband since he got mental health problems more than 20 years ago.

Mail to a friend