The contribution of the caregiving system, personal flexibility and perception of burden, to the personal growth of siblings of people with mental illness

The current study examined stress related growth (SRG) among siblings of people coping with mental illness, as predicted by their caregiving dispositions and the flexibility levels. The study assumed that the caregiving dispositions might predict the motivation to support their siblings with severe mentally illness. Flexibility might shed a light on the different ways to cope with the ongoing burden, involving the life alongside a person with mental illness. Also, the research assumed that the perceived burden will moderate the link between the predictors and stress related growth. Life event was chosen as control variables.    

Most researches examine the burden that parents to an offspring with a mental illness (Friedrich, Lively & Buckwalte, 1999, Doron et al, 2018), whereas this research attempts to shed a light on the coping of siblings.

In this research participated 71 siblings to a person with mental illness (Schizophrenia, Major Depressive disorder, and Bipolar disorder only, diagnosed by the Israeli National Insurance Institute), and 79 participants who are non-clinical siblings. 84% of total participants are female, 55% married, 84% have an academic degree and about 73% define themselves as secular.

 The participants had answered the Caregiving System Scale (CSS, Shaver et al.,2010), COFLEX - The coping flexibility questionnaire (Vriezekolk et al., 2012), Post Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996), The Family Burden Interview )Zarit, Reever & Bach-Peterson 1980(, The Life Event Questionnaire (Solomon, 1995) and a demograpic questionnaire.

The first hypothesis assumed that a difference would be found in burden level and in personal growth between the siblings of persons with mental illness and the controls (siblings to non-clinical). This hypothesis was partially confirmed. It was found that the siblings of mental ill persons have higher levels of perceived burden, though there was no difference between the groups at the levels of SRG. Moreover, siblings of persons with mental illness reported more stressful life events (such as: domestic violence, divorce, migration, sexual abuse, etc.) than the controls. In addition, siblings of persons with mental illness were older from the controls. The fifth hypothesis that assumed differences would be found between the genders in all variables, was partially confirmed. The sisters had  lower scores on avoidant caregiving than the brothers in the entire sample.

The second hypothesis assumed a negative correlation between the caregiving dispositions and the reported personal growth was partially confirmed. Avoidant caregiving was associated with low levels of personal growth. However, in comparing the two groups this association was significant only among the controls.

The third hypothesis assumed that a positive correlation will be found between flexibly and SRG. This assumption was fully confirmed. Siblings with higher levels of flexibly, presented higher levels on their personal stress related growth. However, when comparing the two groups, this association was significant only among the controls.

The fourth hypothesis (the research model), assumed that the perceived burden level will moderate the association between personal growth and flexibly and caregiving (anxiety/avoidant). This assumption was partially confirmed. Perceived burden moderated the link between flexibly and personal growth. Only low and moderate levels of burden were associated with higher growth, whereas high levels of burden were not.

Conclusions: This research asked to shed a light on the perceived burden and predictors to personal growth of siblings of persons with mental illness. From a theoretical perspective, this study seeks to broaden the research on population that is scantly studied, siblings of persons with mental illness, and moreover to investigate links between the caregiving system and personal growth.  From a practical perspective, this study brings to awareness the burden that people carry, when they have a sibling with mental illness. The results suggest that the higher level of burden that siblings of those with mental illness reported, the probably impend the possibility to experience personal growth.