This blog for Christmas is written by Jean who has taken some time out to write for us about her role as a carer and her interest and participation in research. If Jean’s blog inspires you to write about your own experiences as a caregiver we would be very happy to post your blog here – just email us with your story.
Jean’s Christmas blog
“My role as an informal carer of intergenerational family member suffering from functional mental health illnesses ‘took off’ in 1960 – and in 2017 I’m still at it: ‘it’ is a role which differs emotionally depending upon my relationship to the sufferer, for example, as a mother I am often overcome with guilt, asking myself “Did I pick my child up enough, etcetera, etcetera?”. As a wife I view the illness very differently; it is what it is.
I am always interested in new evidence as to the cause(s) of EMH illnesses and keep an ever watchful eye on online publications and articles on the subject.
At the moment I am involved (as an member of an advisory group) at Birmingham University on the effects upon informal carers on interventions which are aimed at SMI sufferers. Hareth Al-Janabi is the Lead, ably assisted by Carol McLoughin.
Hareth and Carol are supreme at making me feel my contribution is worthwhile, an ability which is much appreciated and one which has enabled me to feel confident enough to apply successfully for a grant from Healthwatch Shropshire (with a member from my trust’s research team) for a grant to evaluate the effects of rural living on the receivers and providers of mental health services. The evaluation is at the halfway stage and will, hopefully, add to the growing interest on the subject: it is great fun and, as it is very hands on, has proved to be a huge, huge learning curve, teaching me the basics of such projects.
I fear that at my age – eighty one next year – I shall not see the full results of Hareth’s research, but my enthusiasm remains undaunted: I stand more chance with the evaluation of rurality as the results are due to be published in 2018.”
Jean Nicholls (28/12/17)