An exploratory study of the experiences of being both a mental health professional and carer in mental health services in Norway

Accessible summary What is known on the subject? Many carers report feeling unrecognized by professional healthcare teams. Carers often report difficulty accessing mental health services for relatives. Carers who are also mental health professionals may experience role conflict as found for General Practitioners. What this paper adds to existing knowledge? Carers who are mental health professionals are often not recognized for their professional knowledge and face similar communication barriers as other carers. Difficulties for carers who are mental health professionals are concerned with information sharing, decision-making and continuity of care. What are the implications for practice? Opportunity for services to learn from the experiences of mental health professional and carers to develop better communication and shared decision-making methods for carers Carers who are mental health professionals should be recognized by services for their dual role (and skills). Service development opportunity for training in supporting and engaging carers who are mental health professionals Introduction Around 60% of carers of relatives with mental health problems report feeling unrecognized by professional health care, and many report a lack of engagement, shared decision-making and information sharing. There is a paucity of research examining these issues for carers who are also mental health professionals. Aims This was an exploratory study to (a) explore the extent of this role among health service staff, (b) gather an indication of the issues faced by carers when interacting with the health system and (c) test the feasibility of conducting research. Methods Mental health professionals in mental health services completed an online survey that assessed the frequency, content and satisfaction of the experiences of carers. Results The sample comprised 453 mental health professionals (74% female), 52% being carers. Half of carers reported having therapist contact, and 25% were satisfied with the contact. Negative experiences were related to Information, Decision-making and Continuity of care. Discussion There was a high frequency of mental health professionals who were carers. The majority were dissatisfied, and this was primarily in relation to communication with services. Implications for practice Improving information sharing through training of staff and identification of the system barriers is likely to enhance experiences for service users and families.