Abstract: Although caregiving for persons with early schizophrenia is a difficult task, little
is known about the caregiving process in early schizophrenia. This study explored the caregiving
process for children with early schizophrenia. Twenty-five Thai parents of children diagnosed
with schizophrenia within the last five years were interviewed indepth at outpatient
clinics and wards of a large psychiatric hospital in Thailand. A Straussian grounded theory
approach was used and data analysed using constant comparative analysis.
“Struggling to restore normalcy” emerged as the core category that comprised six
sub-categories: learning the diagnosis, facing shattered dreams, caregiving as an unavoidable
role, struggling to control psychotic symptoms, struggling to deal with the illness impacts, and
accepting a new normal. The parents felt as if they were facing shattered dreams after
learning the diagnosis. They viewed their caregiving as an unavoidable role, as they
strived for their child’s normalcy. They tried to control their child’s unstable psychotic
symptoms by maintaining medication adherence, monitoring and managing the symptoms,
and preventing symptom exacerbation and relapse. They had to deal with the impacts
of the illness including their child’s poor decision-making, illness-related stigma, and their
feeling of loss and difficulties. They gradually accepted the incurability of schizophrenia
which was their child’s new normal.
The unique study findings add to nursing’s knowledge about caregiving for this
group of children, and have implications for the development of an intervention program
that nurses and others can use to help parents cope with caregiving challenges. Future
studies should compare mothers’ and fathers’ experiences in caring for children with
early schizophrenia