Social Experiences and Health Needs of Patients with Severe Mental Illness and their Caregivers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
AbstractBackground The strict isolation measures for the population imposed by the health authorities caused a prolonged disruption of informal social support networks. Both this new social situation and the decrease in accessibility to health care have generated new needs in people with severe ment...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | European Journal of General Practice |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/13814788.2024.2310088 |
| _version_ | 1797316391847591936 |
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| author | Juan Andrés Ramos-Ruiz Alejandro Pérez-Milena Carmen Noguera-Cuenca Beatriz Ruiz-Díaz |
| author_facet | Juan Andrés Ramos-Ruiz Alejandro Pérez-Milena Carmen Noguera-Cuenca Beatriz Ruiz-Díaz |
| author_sort | Juan Andrés Ramos-Ruiz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AbstractBackground The strict isolation measures for the population imposed by the health authorities caused a prolonged disruption of informal social support networks. Both this new social situation and the decrease in accessibility to health care have generated new needs in people with severe mental illness (SMI) and their caregivers.Objectives This study provides insight into life experiences and health needs of a population with SMI during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain.Methods Qualitative design using semi-structured dyadic interviews, conducted from January through December 2022. A purposive sampling of patients with SMI and their caregivers was carried out through key informants in rural and urban localities in southern Spain. Verbatims were identified and classified by triangulation after the evaluation of the interview transcripts. The codes were defined through content analysis using the NVivo software.Results Semi-structured dyadic interviews (21), identifying three main categories: 1. Social isolation: increased, causing greater personal vulnerability, exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms and exhaustion in caregivers. 2. Accessibility to Health Services: decreased with fewer face-to-face consultations, with difficulty in managing urgent situations and telephone attention in decompensated and disabled patients. 3. Continuity of healthcare: decreased with distrust in health professionals due to lack of communication between primary care and the hospitalConclusion COVID-19 confinement exacerbated loneliness and worse health self-perception in SMI people. Greater formal social support was required. GPs role is key to avoiding delays in appointments and lack of coordination between primary and specialised care. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:18:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6d385aa9a90941eca260415c510842df |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1381-4788 1751-1402 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:18:42Z |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of General Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-6d385aa9a90941eca260415c510842df2024-02-12T12:08:08ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of General Practice1381-47881751-14022024-12-0130110.1080/13814788.2024.2310088Social Experiences and Health Needs of Patients with Severe Mental Illness and their Caregivers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in SpainJuan Andrés Ramos-Ruiz0Alejandro Pérez-Milena1Carmen Noguera-Cuenca2Beatriz Ruiz-Díaz3Multiprofessional Teaching Unit of Family and Community Care, Jaén North - Northeast, Andalusian Healthcare Service, Jaén,SpainEl Valle’ Primary Care Center, Andalusian Healthcare Service, Andalusia, Spain‘Department of Psychology, University of Almería, Almería, SpainEl Valle’ Primary Care Center, Andalusian Healthcare Service, Andalusia, Spain‘AbstractBackground The strict isolation measures for the population imposed by the health authorities caused a prolonged disruption of informal social support networks. Both this new social situation and the decrease in accessibility to health care have generated new needs in people with severe mental illness (SMI) and their caregivers.Objectives This study provides insight into life experiences and health needs of a population with SMI during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain.Methods Qualitative design using semi-structured dyadic interviews, conducted from January through December 2022. A purposive sampling of patients with SMI and their caregivers was carried out through key informants in rural and urban localities in southern Spain. Verbatims were identified and classified by triangulation after the evaluation of the interview transcripts. The codes were defined through content analysis using the NVivo software.Results Semi-structured dyadic interviews (21), identifying three main categories: 1. Social isolation: increased, causing greater personal vulnerability, exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms and exhaustion in caregivers. 2. Accessibility to Health Services: decreased with fewer face-to-face consultations, with difficulty in managing urgent situations and telephone attention in decompensated and disabled patients. 3. Continuity of healthcare: decreased with distrust in health professionals due to lack of communication between primary care and the hospitalConclusion COVID-19 confinement exacerbated loneliness and worse health self-perception in SMI people. Greater formal social support was required. GPs role is key to avoiding delays in appointments and lack of coordination between primary and specialised care.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/13814788.2024.2310088Mental disordersneeds assessmentinvoluntary confinementCOVID-19qualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Juan Andrés Ramos-Ruiz Alejandro Pérez-Milena Carmen Noguera-Cuenca Beatriz Ruiz-Díaz Social Experiences and Health Needs of Patients with Severe Mental Illness and their Caregivers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain European Journal of General Practice Mental disorders needs assessment involuntary confinement COVID-19 qualitative research |
| title | Social Experiences and Health Needs of Patients with Severe Mental Illness and their Caregivers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain |
| title_full | Social Experiences and Health Needs of Patients with Severe Mental Illness and their Caregivers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain |
| title_fullStr | Social Experiences and Health Needs of Patients with Severe Mental Illness and their Caregivers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social Experiences and Health Needs of Patients with Severe Mental Illness and their Caregivers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain |
| title_short | Social Experiences and Health Needs of Patients with Severe Mental Illness and their Caregivers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain |
| title_sort | social experiences and health needs of patients with severe mental illness and their caregivers during the first year of the covid 19 pandemic in spain |
| topic | Mental disorders needs assessment involuntary confinement COVID-19 qualitative research |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/13814788.2024.2310088 |
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