Caregivers' experiences of caring for a husband with Parkinson's disease and psychotic symptoms

Psychotic symptoms are a common nonmotor complication in Parkinson's disease. Research exploring the impact of psychotic symptoms on coping by caregivers of people with Parkinson's disease is sparse. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of individuals living with a partner with Parkinson's disease and psychotic symptoms. Ten female caregivers from the north west of England were interviewed and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to identify themes within their accounts. Four themes emerged from the analysis: uncertainty and the search for understanding; adapting to symptoms over time; the contribution of psychosis to changing identities; and the use of social comparison as a coping strategy. These themes highlighted the changing identity of their partner as a person with Parkinson's disease and a number of strategies that caregivers had developed to cope with psychotic symptoms. The themes are explored in detail and clinical implications are considered.