Caregivers’ experiences of violence by mentally ill patients discharged from Chainama hospital attending reviews at filter clinic, Lusaka-Zambia

Abstract

Background: Caring for Mentally ill patients is a major task many Caregivers face globally. Many people have argued that caring for such a group of patients is followed with unique challenges. Despite the information about caring for patients suffering from mental illness, little information is available and known about lived experiences of caregivers at filter clinic coming for reviews and admitted in wards at Chainama Hills Hospital Lusaka Zambia, worse in the community where such cases are occur.This study deals with an exploration of caregives’ experiences of physical violence from discharged mentally ill patients at Chainama Hills Hospital.The purpose is to explore the aggressiveness of violent behavior by discharged mentally ill patients from Chainama Hills Hospital towards the caregivers. This study’objective is to discover and describe the lived experiences of caregivers who care for mentally ill patient at home but attending reviews at Chainama hills Hospital Lusaka Zambia. The study employed a descriptive survey design in which qualitative techniques, phenomelogical were used to conduct the research and collect the required data. A purpose sampling process was applied.The sample population was the caregivers of discharged mentally ill patients coming for reviews at the hospital. A sample of 40 Caregivers was used and divided into 4 focus groups with 10 people in each group. The focus group discussions was conducted by the researcher using guidelines. The group were homogenous sampled to participate in the discussions. The vi data was analyzed using content analysis and thematic analysis by using emerging themes. In-depth, individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted and the interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and the researcher used vivo method to analyse data. Both positive and negative experiences were repoted by respondents.The findings of the study :is that physical violence to the caregivers is prevalent. The violence is preceded by disorderly behavior, disobedience, and excessive and irrational demands of things by the patients. Failure to get attention and positive response ignites the violence. The next finding was that the care-givers rarely had escape alternative and protection because of the nature of the illness the patient’s suffer from. On the negatives there was lack of support from relatives, government and NGOS, also the feeling of being unappreciated by relatives. Limitation fo this study only covered only those patients who were coming back for review and those did not come back. In summary, this study shows that the majority of the patients who are dischanged do not come back for reviews and makes the violence in the community to be on the high side especially when they relapse Training about management of aggression needs to be provided, debriefing sessions to deal with stress experienced needs to be arranged, and research to quantify the levels of anxiety should be conducted. Key words: violence, discharged, care-givers.