“Waiting in the Wings”—Next-of-Kin’s Experiences of Lifestyle Interventions for People with Schizophrenia

Abstract

People with schizophrenia have an increased risk of experiencing physical ill health and thus risk premature death. It is important to gain knowledge about the next-of-kin’s experiences of lifestyle interventions in order to increase the understanding of the development of health promotion. This study aimed to describe the experiences of next-of-kin of lifestyle interventions for people with schizophrenia. Ten next-of-kin to people diagnosed with schizophrenia were interviewed and content analysis was used to analyze the data. Three categories emerged in the analysis: Low prioritization of physical health, Patients’ needs for motivational support and Next-of-kin’s’ limited and distant participation. Mental health nurses need a holistic view of human beings and to include the patients’ physical health and the role of the family in their responsibilities. Further studies are needed that focus on the views of the next-of-kin and the staff from the mental health services about the care and support needs for promoting physical health in this patient group.