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Table 3 Questions and themes with exemplifying quotes

From: COVID-19 lockdown – who cares? The first lockdown from the perspective of relatives of people with severe mental illness

Question (Q)

Themes

Quote

IMPROVED

Q: Has the mental health of your family member improved during the pandemic? If improvement, feel free to elaborate how the pandemic has had a positive effect

More tranquillity

That my brother copes with the corona restrictions so well, and both notices and appreciates that everyone around him also lives a quieter life, has more time and gives more contact. Everyone in the family is happy about this, which has also given us a new perspective on how much this means to a sensitive and intermittently introverted person. (sibling)

More time – more in touch

When the school turned into home school, we saw great change. Less unattainable demands and more sense of mastery. Less social difficulties and more help with regulation. (mother)

More like others

Does not feel so "alone". All people need to be a lot at home/inside and she is more in line with society in this time. (mother)

DETERIORATED

Q: Has the mental health of your family member deteriorated during the crisis?

If deteriorated, elaborate how the pandemic has had a negative impact on your family member

Isolation and its effect on mental health

My mother needs contact with children and grandchildren to stay away from depression. Without this contact, she became depressed and got a lot of anxiety, as well as became easily paranoid. (offspring)

Worrying about the pandemic and its consequences

Mom loses perception of reality more easily. Concerns that have previously led to psychoses, about surveillance, disease and the future come more than before. (offspring)

Increased symptomatology

Being quarantined was the trigger that caused my spouse to go into a powerful psychosis. (spouse)

Suicide

She was laid off from the part-time job … and missed the job. For a while I kept her going with a … project and she was embarking on a couple of other projects. Then all of a sudden, she took her own life. She was depressed, but has always rejected any question of suicide before, so we don't know what's happened. But I'm sure the corona crisis had some part in it. (mother)

Own health

Q: Are there other things you would like to share with us that are important regarding your role as relative in this situation?

Strain on own health

At times demanding to be supportive, to be present all the time. To sleep together, to calm down, and talk for much of the day. …the same is expressed all the time. Must be thoughtful answers. Must be patient and understanding. Even if you are very tired. (mother)