"LEVANDO A CRUZ AO CALVÁRIO": O IMPACTO DA DOENÇA MENTAL GRAVE EM FAMÍLIAS - UMA ANÁLISE QUALITATIVA

Abstract

Introduction: Severe mental illness (SMI) is a phenomenon with a profound impact not only on the life of the diagnosed person, but also on family dynamics. The deinstitutionalization of mental health care has transferred a large part of the care responsibilities to families, intensifying the emotional, social, and economic burden on informal caregivers. This study aimed to understand the impact of SMI on families, exploring the experiences of family members of people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and other severe disorders, in light of family systems theory and attachment theory. Methodology: Within the scope of the Resil(sc)ience Project, a qualitative analysis was conducted based on 15 semi-structured interviews with family members of people with SMI. The data were analyzed through reflective thematic analysis, allowing the identification of patterns of meaning related to family experiences. Results and Discussion: Three main categories emerged: caregiver burden, changes in family dynamics, and protective factors. Caregiver burden proved to be multidimensional, encompassing emotional suffering, financial difficulties, physical exhaustion, and feelings of guilt and fear regarding the future of family members with PMG. Reconfiguration of family roles, parentification, and relational detachment were also observed. Adequate institutional support, spousal support, and mental health literacy combined to act as protective factors promoting family resilience. Conclusion: It is concluded that PMG produces profound systemic effects on families, requiring more integrated and humanized institutional responses. The promotion of support networks, mental health literacy, and interventions adapted to families affected by the overload on the family system are crucial.