Caring in the Shadows: Emotional and Caregiving Challenges Faced by Families of Individuals in Coercive Controlling Groups and Relationships

Abstract

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Purpose Studies on families of individuals experiencing coercive control have generally considered them as informants or supporters, often overlooking their own difficulties and needs. Evidence from other areas highlights the importance of acknowledging family emotions and caregiving experiences, emphasizing their impact on family mental health and the progression of their relatives’ condition. This study aimed to explore the emotional and caregiving challenges faced by family members and friends of individuals in coercive controlling groups and relationships, along with their associations with distress, well-being, and mastery. Methods Using data from the Family Caring Survey, a quantitative study investigating family members’ experiences and needs, we examined the factor structure, internal reliability, measurement invariance across gender, and criterion-related validity of the Family Questionnaire (FQ) and the Brief Experience of Caregiving Inventory (BECI) in a convenience sample of 264 family members of individuals in coercive controlling groups or relationships. Results Interpretable and well-fitting factor structures emerged for both the FQ (intense emotional expression, over-concern, critical comments, monitoring) and BECI (stigma, difficult behaviors, positive personal experiences). Families face substantial emotional turmoil and caregiving challenges, significantly related to distress, anxiety, depression, and lower mastery. Stigma and Intense Emotional Expression were notably linked to poorer mental health outcomes. Strong ties existed between Difficult Behaviors and Critical Comments, both strongly associated to potential family separation. Gender differences in caregiving experiences and expressed emotion were mostly nonsignificant, though women exhibited a slightly heightened Over-Concern. Conclusions The findings provide insights to understand the unique challenges these families face, underscoring the importance of developing family-based intervention programs and enhancing support for a population traditionally marginalized in scientific literature.