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• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for their husband, wife or partner >> Marcie - Interview 04 >> When life revolves around being a carer it may seem like a 'pretend' life.

10 years ago Marcie's husband Larry was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Today he is completely depended on her and Marcie gave up her job as a Ward Clark to look after him. Most of Marcie's time is taken up with caring for him, which is restricting and isolating.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for their husband, wife or partner >> Marcie - Interview 04 >> Marcy gave up work to care for her husband and says it had financial and social cost.

10 years ago Marcie's husband Larry was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Today he is completely depended on her and Marcie gave up her job as a Ward Clark to look after him. Most of Marcie's time is taken up with caring for him, which is restricting and isolating.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for a sister or brother >> Angela - Interview 15 >> Mental health stigma meant Angela did not marry and start a family when she wanted, leading to more feelings of shame.

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 their husband, wife or partner >> Anne - Interview 20 >> When Anne's husband stopped working he felt bad and life changed for the family.

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 their husband, wife or partner >> Marcie - Interview 04 >> Marcie does not think hardship is necessary to grow as a person.

10 years ago Marcie's husband Larry was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Today he is completely depended on her and Marcie gave up her job as a Ward Clark to look after him. Most of Marcie's time is taken up with caring for him, which is restricting and isolating.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for their husband, wife or partner >> Wei - Interview 31 >> Since Wei's husband got ill, they have little money and are socially isolated (recording in Chinese).

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

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for a son or daughter >> Miriam - Interview 05 >> Miriam has turned down opportunities for promotion because she doesn't want the added stress.

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 >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for their husband, wife or partner >> Aiko - Interview 17 >> Continuing a career in a different country is hard, and she thinks being a carer made it even harder.

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 >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for their husband, wife or partner >> Ramanbhai - Interview 27 >> Ramambhai feels that leaving his wife with others would have a negative effect on her so he mostly stays at home.

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 >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for a parent >> Anton - Interview16 >> Being a carer limits what Anton can do, but he believes in putting his mother first.

Anton cares for his 84 year old mother who suffers from dementia. His caring responsibilities together with his own health problems meant he had to take early retirement, but he is very involved in voluntary work.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for their husband, wife or partner >> Rani - Interview 07 >> Rani feels restricted in what she can do because she needs to be with her husband.

Rani cares for her husband who has depression and he is very much dependent on her. She finds it hard, especially since she suffers from ill health herself.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for a parent >> Amar - Interview 01 >> Amar's experiences have helped her to develop life skills and to do her job better.

Amar's mother got a schizophrenic disorder around the time the family moved from Kenya via India to England. Over forty years later, Amar is her mother's main carer, on top of a full time job and being a parent.

• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for their husband, wife or partner >> Kiran - Interview 26 >> Kiran's social life and his relationship to his wife has changed after she got depression (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 >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for other or more than one relative >> Raye - Interview 30 >> When she returned after two years abroad, her brother hadn't taken on much of the care for their father, their older sister and brother.

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 >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> People caring for a parent >> Anton - Interview16 >> Maintaining friendships as a carer requires flexibility.

Anton cares for his 84 year old mother who suffers from dementia. His caring responsibilities together with his own health problems meant he had to take early retirement, but he is very involved in voluntary work.

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• Mental health >> Mental health: ethnic minority carers’ experiences >> Working life and life opportunities >> Working life and life opportunities

Working life and life opportunities