We-Care-Well: exploring the personal recovery of mental health caregivers through Participatory Action Research
Family caregivers play a critical role in supporting the recovery journeys of their loved ones, yet the recovery journeys of family caregivers have not been well-explored. Using a Participatory Action Research approach, we explore the personal recovery journeys of family caregivers for individuals w...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1366144/full |
| _version_ | 1827294209623719936 |
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| author | Tyler Redublo Tyler Redublo Sayani Paul Anahita Joshi Simone Arbour Ross Murray Mary Chiu |
| author_facet | Tyler Redublo Tyler Redublo Sayani Paul Anahita Joshi Simone Arbour Ross Murray Mary Chiu |
| author_sort | Tyler Redublo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Family caregivers play a critical role in supporting the recovery journeys of their loved ones, yet the recovery journeys of family caregivers have not been well-explored. Using a Participatory Action Research approach, we explore the personal recovery journeys of family caregivers for individuals with mental illness. This case study involved piloting and exploring the impact of a novel online workshop series offered to mental health caregivers at Ontario Shores Center for Mental Health Sciences. Recovery courses and workshops conventionally engage patients living with mental health conditions. In the current case, the recovery model is adapted to the needs and experiences of their family caregivers, resulting in a pilot workshop series called “We Care Well”. Through participant-led discussions, interactive and take-home activities, and experiential learning, caregivers co-created workshop content and engaged in peer-learning on seven personal recovery-oriented topics. This included: self-care, resilience-building, non-violent communication, storytelling, and mental health advocacy. Throughout the sessions, participants implemented their learnings into their caregiving roles, and shared their experiences with the group to progress through their own recovery journeys. The We Care Well series was found to be an effective intervention to adapt and apply the personal recovery framework to mental health caregivers. PAR, and co-design are viable approaches to engage caregivers in mental health research, and can facilitate knowledge exchange, as well as relationship building with peers and program facilitators. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T13:52:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d180bde46d6540baabcc8c8cdff02f9c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T13:52:58Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-d180bde46d6540baabcc8c8cdff02f9c2024-04-04T04:26:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652024-04-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.13661441366144We-Care-Well: exploring the personal recovery of mental health caregivers through Participatory Action ResearchTyler Redublo0Tyler Redublo1Sayani Paul2Anahita Joshi3Simone Arbour4Ross Murray5Mary Chiu6Research & Academics, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Whitby, ON, CanadaTranslational Research Program, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaResearch & Academics, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Whitby, ON, CanadaResearch & Academics, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Whitby, ON, CanadaResearch & Academics, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Whitby, ON, CanadaResearch & Academics, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Whitby, ON, CanadaResearch & Academics, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Whitby, ON, CanadaFamily caregivers play a critical role in supporting the recovery journeys of their loved ones, yet the recovery journeys of family caregivers have not been well-explored. Using a Participatory Action Research approach, we explore the personal recovery journeys of family caregivers for individuals with mental illness. This case study involved piloting and exploring the impact of a novel online workshop series offered to mental health caregivers at Ontario Shores Center for Mental Health Sciences. Recovery courses and workshops conventionally engage patients living with mental health conditions. In the current case, the recovery model is adapted to the needs and experiences of their family caregivers, resulting in a pilot workshop series called “We Care Well”. Through participant-led discussions, interactive and take-home activities, and experiential learning, caregivers co-created workshop content and engaged in peer-learning on seven personal recovery-oriented topics. This included: self-care, resilience-building, non-violent communication, storytelling, and mental health advocacy. Throughout the sessions, participants implemented their learnings into their caregiving roles, and shared their experiences with the group to progress through their own recovery journeys. The We Care Well series was found to be an effective intervention to adapt and apply the personal recovery framework to mental health caregivers. PAR, and co-design are viable approaches to engage caregivers in mental health research, and can facilitate knowledge exchange, as well as relationship building with peers and program facilitators.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1366144/fullpersonal recoveryfamily and friend caregiversmental healthParticipatory Action ResearchCHIME frameworkrecovery college model |
| spellingShingle | Tyler Redublo Tyler Redublo Sayani Paul Anahita Joshi Simone Arbour Ross Murray Mary Chiu We-Care-Well: exploring the personal recovery of mental health caregivers through Participatory Action Research Frontiers in Public Health personal recovery family and friend caregivers mental health Participatory Action Research CHIME framework recovery college model |
| title | We-Care-Well: exploring the personal recovery of mental health caregivers through Participatory Action Research |
| title_full | We-Care-Well: exploring the personal recovery of mental health caregivers through Participatory Action Research |
| title_fullStr | We-Care-Well: exploring the personal recovery of mental health caregivers through Participatory Action Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | We-Care-Well: exploring the personal recovery of mental health caregivers through Participatory Action Research |
| title_short | We-Care-Well: exploring the personal recovery of mental health caregivers through Participatory Action Research |
| title_sort | we care well exploring the personal recovery of mental health caregivers through participatory action research |
| topic | personal recovery family and friend caregivers mental health Participatory Action Research CHIME framework recovery college model |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1366144/full |
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