{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,19]],"date-time":"2025-11-19T13:31:11Z","timestamp":1763559071107,"version":"3.45.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"22","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,18]],"date-time":"2025-11-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763424000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Family caregivers of individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) experience substantial burden, yet scalable caregiver-focused supports are scarce. This pilot study tested a nurse-led telephone program to evaluate feasibility and acceptability and to explore perceived impacts on caregiver burden, coping, and well-being. Methods: A descriptive pilot case study was conducted in an adult psychiatric inpatient unit in Portugal. Six informal caregivers of inpatients with BD completed a structured six-call protocol over approximately 6\u20138 weeks. Results: Overall, 6 caregivers completed the full cycle, totaling 36 sessions (6 assessment, 18 psychoeducational, 6 psychosocial, and 6 evaluation sessions). Thematic analysis identified four recurrent themes: (1) embracing the caregiver role\u2014recognizing personal needs and legitimizing help-seeking; (2) patience and understanding\u2014adopting emotion-regulation strategies; (3) self-reflection on personal strengths\u2014increased self-efficacy and acknowledgment of persistence, empathy, and resilience; and (4) fostering hope and resilience\u2014expressing future-oriented goals consolidated in a personalized \u201chope kit.\u201d Conclusions: A brief, protocolized, nurse-delivered telephone program for caregivers of inpatients with BD was both feasible and acceptable, producing meaningful qualitative benefits consistent with the aims of psychoeducation (knowledge acquisition, coping, and emotional regulation). Findings support the use of telephone support as a pragmatic complement to standard BD care and justify larger controlled studies to quantify effects on caregiver burden, mood, and resilience, and to compare telephone, in-person, and blended delivery models.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14228173","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,19]],"date-time":"2025-11-19T12:55:31Z","timestamp":1763556931000},"page":"8173","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Application of a Telephone Program for Informal Caregivers of Patients with Bipolar Disease"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7969-8242","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Catarina In\u00eas Costa","family":"Afonso","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Integrated Member of RISE-Health, School of Health Sciences of Santar\u00e9m, Polytechnic Institute of Santar\u00e9m, Quinta do Mergulh\u00e3o Sr\u00aa da Guia, 2005-075 Santar\u00e9m, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0721-3343","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Sp\u00ednola","family":"Madeira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Integrated Member of RISE-Health, School of Health Sciences of Santar\u00e9m, Polytechnic Institute of Santar\u00e9m, Quinta do Mergulh\u00e3o Sr\u00aa da Guia, 2005-075 Santar\u00e9m, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1003-5990","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alcinda","family":"Reis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Integrated Member of RISE-Health, School of Health Sciences of Santar\u00e9m, Polytechnic Institute of Santar\u00e9m, Quinta do Mergulh\u00e3o Sr\u00aa da Guia, 2005-075 Santar\u00e9m, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4459-4950","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Gomes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Local Health Unit of the Leiria Region, 2400-441 Leiria, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Jain, A., and Mitra, P. 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