Affiliations 

  • 1 School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • 2 Club HEAL, Singapore, Singapore
  • 3 Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Health Soc Care Community, 2021 01;29(1):164-174.
PMID: 32619086 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13079

Abstract

Despite the importance of carers supporting the lives of people with mental illness, there are limited studies investigating the well-being and needs of Malay carers in multicultural Singapore. The Malays consist of 13.4% of Singapore's population. A mixed methods qualitative dominant research approach was used to explore the well-being and needs of Malay carers in a voluntary welfare organisation. The Kessler-10, Friendship Scale and Carers' and Users' Expectations of Services-Carer version were used to assess the needs and well-being of 17 Malay carers. Findings show that Malay carers experienced poor well-being and had numerous unmet needs. Four main themes were found: (a) Concerns related to relatives with mental illness, (b) Mental health practices related to carers, (c) Holistic support for carers and (d) Preference for greater spiritual support in mental health. Recovery-oriented mental health practice implications are discussed. Spirituality of Malay carers needs to be given greater consideration in recovery-oriented mental health services.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.