Seminal ethical considerations associated with elevated stress, depression, suicidal and ill-health challenges family carers experience during home-based care of patients with traumatic brain injury

An increasing number of people are living with the consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Because of limited facilities and mental health resources, family members often have to care for them at home where they may experience the adverse sequelae of elevated stress and related ineffectual family carer support. As part of an extension of our research, the objective of this article is to present a cognate and coalescent rationale where we address relevant issues pertaining to seminal ethical considerations. The research incorporated a cross-sectional descriptive and phenomenological mixed methodology, structured questionnaires, post-interview content analyses and two individually administered standardized measures, a Stress Symptom Checklist and The Beck Depression Inventory. Scores were non-normally distributed, therefore nonparametric statistical tests were used for the statistical analyses with a significance level of p = 0.05. The sample recruited (N = 80) consisted of close family members who care for a patient with TBI with an age range of 18 to 75 years (x̅ = 49.6), of whom 25% were males and 75% females. Their participation in the study was voluntary. The majority of the caregivers suffered from moderate, severe or profound stress. Those with higher stress levels had correspondingly increasing levels of depression, suicidal ideation and ill-health, while carers who were coping expressed concern in respect of their future well-being. Most maintained that they were not adequately prepared by healthcare professionals in respect of support, follow-up, education and preparation concerning the demands of homebased care. The present study emphasizes seminal ethical considerations as part of a synergistic and collaborative approach that could assist in enhancing family caregivers’ coping skills to help them adapt more effectively in their management of the TBI patients they care for at home.