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Review
. 2014 Aug;12(2):111-23.
doi: 10.9758/cpn.2014.12.2.111. Epub 2014 Aug 12.

Needs of siblings of persons with psychosis: a systematic descriptive review

Anekal C Amaresha  1 , Ganesan Venkatasubramanian  2 , D Muralidhar  3
Affiliations
Review

Needs of siblings of persons with psychosis: a systematic descriptive review

Anekal C Amaresha et al. Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2014 Aug.

Abstract

Research on caregivers of psychosis has predominantly focused on parents and spouses. Issues related to siblings of persons with psychosis (SOPP) are yet to be evaluated comprehensively. Like parents and spouses, SOPP also share the caregiver burden and have their own issues and needs. This systematic descriptive review aims to identify the types of needs of SOPP in the published literature and gives implications for further practice and research. The primary data search was carried out with predefined protocol in PubMed database and an additional hand search was done in EBSCOhost, ProQuest, Scopus, and PsychINFO. All the searches yielded a total of 862 titles. After screening for necessary inclusion criteria, seven studies were included in the final review. The results are discussed under six major themes that emerged from this review. Six out of seven studies highlighted the need for information on siblings' illness and participation in caregiver support group. Other important needs were illness management or rehabilitation needs; help in managing their own psychosocial issues; treatment related informational needs; and inclusion in treatment process. The socio-demographic details of these studies showed that majority of the participants were female siblings of Caucasian or white British ethnicity and from developed countries. SOPP predominantly have specific needs such as informational and support group needs, which are different in the priority of other primary caregiver needs. Paucity of literature from developing countries and the limitations of the existing studies warrant further systematic research.

Keywords: Psychosis; Psychosocial needs; Siblings.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart of selection process. SOPP, siblings of persons with psychosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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