Crises in care-giving - an enduring state: implications for service development in Thailand

In 2003, the World Health Organisation (WHO) identified family members as the main carers for people with mental illness. This paper initially provides a brief report of the findings of a qualitative study exploring the experience of family care givers in a rural area of Thailand. The focus of this study was to seek an understanding of the experience of crisis faced by carers as they looked after their relatives with mental illness. Contrary to expectation crises were not episodic events interspersed with extended periods of stability, but rather an enduring state. For care givers this burden resulted in financial hardship and social isolation and impacted severely on their own physical and mental health. These findings pose significant challenges to health care professionals and community services in Thailand. This paper examines the implications of these findings and makes recommendations regarding educational enhancements, changes to clinical practice and suggestions for future research.