The Role of the Family in Psychiatric Rehabilitation

Abstract

This article describes the multiple roles that families can play in the psychiatric rehabilitation process and suggests ways for professionals to collaborate with them. The authors discuss the family's experience of loss and their process of recovery; their caregiving role; their role in supporting other families; their teaching and educational role; their advocacy role; their role as researchers and research subjects; and some suggestions for supporting family roles.

The Pain and the Possibility: The Family Recovery Process

“…An all too frequent lack of clear and specific communication about what is happening supports the confusion family members feel. These attempts to seek out information are often frustrating because of shame, embarrassment, and self-blame, and, the frequent lack of knowledge or resources on the part of the person being asked (Spaniol et al 2000).…”

“…And because the level of understanding will always vary with each family member, so will their level of active recovery vary. Thus, each member of the family must deal with his/her own recovery (Spaniol et al 2000). Members of the family can support one another but they cannot recover for one another.…”

“…While the mental illness in their family member may be life long, family members can experience their own recovery from the trauma, just as their family member with a mental illness can experience recovery (Davidson et al 2005(Davidson et al , 2006Spaniol et al 2000Spaniol et al , 2002.…”

Carer's education groups for relatives with a first episode of psychosis: an evaluation of an eight-week education group

“…Research indicates carers experience physical and mental health difficulties including poor sleep, 1 high blood pressure and fatigue, 2 distress, 3 stress, 4 depression, helplessness, anger and despair. 5 Other studies recognize the importance of carers remaining functional as they often provide a safe, sound and supportive environment to help their loved one with his or her recovery. 6 It is esti-mated that seven million people are carers saving the government £87 billion annually.…”

The role of relatives in discharge planning from psychiatric hospitals: The perspective of patients and their relatives

“…The involvement of families in the treatment of people with mental disorders has become an area of increasing interest over the last 20 years (1)(2)(3)(4). This interest has been intensified over time by factors such as deinstitutionalization; the emotional, financial and interpersonal impact of psychiatric disorders on families; the effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions; and the revision of theories concerning the role of the family in the etiology of severe mental disorders (5).…”