The needs of primary family caregivers for post-discharge follow-up services for older adults with mental disorders: a qualitative study

To investigate the experiences, expectations, and barriers regarding post-discharge follow-up services among primary caregivers of older adults with mental disorders. A descriptive qualitative research design was employed. The study included 17 primary caregivers of older adults with mental disorders admitted to the Geriatric Psychiatry Department of a Grade A Level III psychiatric hospital in Inner Mongolia, China, between June 2025 and February 2026. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The interview content focused on three aspects: experiences of follow-up needs, service expectations, and implementation barriers. Traditional content analysis was used to analyze, categorize, and distill themes from the interview data. A total of 3 themes and 9 subthemes were identified: multidimensional caregiving challenges and unmet support needs during home care (persistent anxiety regarding symptom monitoring in home care, practical difficulties in applying caregiving skills at home, and emotional support deficits and unmet psychological needs); expectations regarding professional post-discharge follow-up services (demand for diverse professional follow-up methods, expectations for personalized follow-up service content, and trust in professional follow-up teams); and practical barriers to engaging with professional follow-up services (cognitive biases and limitations regarding follow-up, difficulties in accessing follow-up resources, and participation due to caregiver physical and mental exhaustion). Primary caregivers of older adults with mental disorders have clear and multidimensional needs for post-discharge follow-up services, but face multiple barriers related to cognition, resources, and their own capabilities. It is recommended to establish a diversified follow-up service system oriented toward caregiver needs, providing personalized and professional follow-up content. Attention should be paid to resource accessibility issues in rural areas and among elderly caregivers, while simultaneously prioritizing caregiver mental health and establishing channels for emotional support to enhance the quality of home care and promote patient recovery. Not applicable.