Le vécu expérientiel des familles accompagnant un proche atteint de schizophrénie : une étude phénoménologique

INTRODUCTION Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder, often associated with social stigma, affecting approximately 1% of the French population. The development of community-based care has increased the responsibilities of families, including their role as caregivers, which is essential to recovery but exposes them to emotional, social, and material burdens.

AIM To explore the experiences of families supporting a relative living with schizophrenia, with a view to understanding their experiences, the resources they use, and the obstacles they encounter.

METHOD A qualitative interpretive phenomenological study was conducted with five people supporting a relative with schizophrenia, recruited in collaboration with the French National Union of Friends and Families of People with Mental Illness (UNAFAM). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic coding and phenomenological interpretation.

RESULTS Four themes emerged from the analysis: isolation and processes of stigmatization reflecting both social and identity disruption; a substantial emotional and material burden, characterized by feelings of guilt and exhaustion; resistance strategies developed by families, grounded in the maintenance of hope and the mobilization of familial and community resources; and the ambivalent nature of support systems, oscillating between recognition of the caregiver role and unmet expectations.

CONCLUSION The experiences of caregivers reveal a complex reality, situated between suffering and resilience. Recognizing families as partners is essential to reducing the care burden and supporting recovery. Advanced practice nurses play a key role in assessment, psychoeducation, coordination, and the development of partnership-based approaches.