This doctoral dissertation examines the psychosocial needs and resilience resources of informal caregivers of partners living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and presents an empirically grounded model of psychosocial counselling formulated within the doctoral research. The starting point of the doctoral dissertation is the recognition that existing forms of support for caregivers are often partial, individualistically oriented, and insufficiently embedded within the broader relational, institutional, and societal context of long-term care.
The research is based on a systematic review of literature, an analysis of existing psychosocial counselling models, and a qualitative empirical study carried out through in-depth interviews with informal caregivers and professional practitioners. Data analysis was conducted using the constructivist grounded theory method (Charmaz), enabling the formulation of a conceptual model grounded in empirical data and in the perspectives of the participants.
The findings indicate that caregivers’ psychosocial needs are multidimensional and processual, including the reduction of fear and uncertainty, maintenance of personal health, access to timely and comprehensible information, emotional support, relief from caregiving demands, practical assistance, and institutional security. Caregivers are frequently exposed to psychological and physical exhaustion and to a lack of systemic support, while simultaneously developing significant resilience resources derived from the partner relationship, the social network, and adaptive coping strategies.
Based on the empirical findings, a psychosocial counselling model was formulated comprising six key components: (1) initial information and counselling, (2) psychosocial support and relief, (3) practical assistance and training, (4) institutional support and respite care, (5) an interdisciplinary approach, and (6) the use of telemedicine and counselling-based forms of support. The model is grounded in a relational and contextual approach and emphasises the role of social workers as connective, advocacy-oriented, and reflexive actors within the long-term care system.
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