Psychological factors of sibling caregivers of patients with severe mental disorders: an observational study

The goal of the present study is to explore the perception of the relationship with parental figures, traumatic experiences, personality traits and psychosocial characteristics of the participant sibling caregivers. The sample was composed of 30 sibling caregivers recruited at psychiatric facilities in Italy, and of 30 control siblings. The battery of instruments administered included Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2), and The Inventory of Traumatic Experiences (TEC). This research found that sibling caregivers of patients with severe psychiatric pathologies are distinctly different from the siblings of the control group with respect to the perception of their relationship with parental figures more frequently regarded as dysfunctional, and were also characterized by a higher presence of traumatic experiences. The problematic relationship with parental figures, some traumatic experiences, and the burden of taking care of a sibling with psychiatric disorders are probably important variables with regards to the individual’s overall psychological condition.

Sibling Caregivers of People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Sociodemographic Characteristics and Material Hardship Prevalence

In growing numbers, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are outliving their parents, or at least their parents' ability to care for them. Consequently, adult siblings without intellectual and developmental disabilities are increasingly taking on primary caregiving responsibilities. However, adult siblings have received little study generally, and sibling caregivers have received even less. We used nationally representative data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to describe the social characteristics and material hardship levels of sibling caregivers, in comparison to the general working age adult population. This study finds moderate material hardship to be pervasive among sibling caregivers, though extreme levels of hardship are possibly being abated somewhat through public benefit programs. Implications for greater service needs are discussed.

Supporting the Next Generation of Caregivers: Service Use and Needs of Adult Siblings of Individuals With Intellectual Disability

As a result of gains in health care, people with intellectual disability are outliving their parents, creating an unprecedented need to support this population. Siblings represent the longest lasting family relationships and often become caregivers for their brothers and sisters with intellectual disability when parents pass away. Given the growing number of siblings who are assuming this caregiver role, it is important to understand the challenges and opportunities they face. This project explored the needs of adult sibling caregivers and the service system's efficacy in meeting these needs. Using focus groups and a phenomenological approach, this study explored siblings' experiences with the service system, including barriers, needs, and how services impact their well-being. Findings suggest that siblings who have greater access to services and supports experience greater well-being and ability to support their brothers and sisters with intellectual disability.

Predictors of Adult Sibling Social Support for the Seriously Mentally III

Little research examines the reasons adult siblings might provide social support to unmarried, dependent brothers and sisters. This article examines how obligation, reciprocity, and the quality of personal relationships affect whether siblings provide social support to the seriously mentally ill. It uses a sample of 108 siblings of 85 participants in a treatment program for the seriously mentally ill to examine the factors that predict several aspects of help provision. Reciprocity is an important predictor of reported and projected support: The more help respondent siblings receive from ill siblings, the more willingness to help they show in return. The availability of parental and other sibling caregivers is also associated with reported help from siblings. Neither norms of family obligation nor relational quality are highly correlated with support. The results indicate that professionals should take into account the potential importance of siblings as providers of social support to the seriously mentally ill and encourage their clients to develop reciprocal interactions with their brothers and sisters.