Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Project

College/School

College of Nursing

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Project Mentor

Hyun Jung Kim

Readers

Sabrina Diffendaffer

Abstract

In the United States, 8.4 million people provide informal caregiving to people living with mental illness. Many of these caregivers are not included in the treatment process and decision making during inpatient hospitalization despite calls for more caregiver involvement. This mixed-methods study examined caregiver satisfaction and perceptions of care at a Pacific Northwest inpatient psychiatric unit to determine ways to improve caregiver engagement. A convenience sample of caregivers (N = 19) participated in a survey using modified questions from the Ontario Perception of Care Tool for Mental Health and Addictions for Caregivers. Most participants identified as the spouse, partner, or significant other (37%) and reported that their loved one had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder (58%). Participants responded to six Likert-scale questions about satisfaction and two open-ended questions about perceptions of care. Most caregivers felt that they were valued members of the care team, staff responded to their needs and concerns, and they were provided with information about their loved one. However, some participants felt that staff did not encourage hope, failed to keep them updated, and excluded them from treatment decisions. Content analysis of open-ended responses revealed four themes: appreciating responsiveness from staff, feeling positive about the relationship with staff, struggling to communicate, and difficulties with admission and discharge. Overall, caregivers reported mixed satisfaction with inpatient psychiatric care. Findings suggest that inpatient units should focus on improving communication with caregivers. Special consideration should be made for spousal caregivers and those supporting individuals with bipolar disorder.

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