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Living with psychiatric patients: Implications for the mental health of family members

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  • Noh, Samuel
  • Turner, R.Jay

Abstract

Current treatment policy has resulted in large numbers of ex-hospitalized psychiatric patients residing with family members in the community. However, little is known about the emotional consequences for family members. This paper focusses on the relationship between level of chronic strain, as indexed by 'objective' and 'subjective' family burden, and extent of psychological distress among family members of ex-hospitalized psychiatric patients. This relationship is assessed within a multivariate model that also considers eventful experience as an additional source of stress and social support and mastery as potential stress mediators. We found the variable of mastery, or sense of personal control, to be by far the most powerful predictor of distress among family members. When mastery was considered in regression analyses the modest correlations between 'objective' and 'subjective' family burden and distress scores disappeared. However, assessment of interactions indicated that strain is independently associated with distress among those subjects who scored relatively low on the mastery scale. Our most general conclusion is that the presence of some patients tends to be associated with substantial psychological costs for some families.

Suggested Citation

  • Noh, Samuel & Turner, R.Jay, 1987. "Living with psychiatric patients: Implications for the mental health of family members," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 263-272, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:25:y:1987:i:3:p:263-272
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Benson, Paul R. & Fisher, Gene A. & Diana, Augusto & Simon, Lorna & Gamache, Gail & Tessler, Richard C. & McDermeit, Melissa, 1996. "A state network of family support services: The massachusetts family support demonstration project," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 27-39, February.
    2. Isabel Fernández-Felipe & Amanda Díaz-García & José Heliodoro Marco & Azucena García-Palacios & Verónica Guillén Botella, 2021. "“Family Connections”, a DBT-Based Program for Relatives of People with Borderline Personality Disorder during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Focus Group Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-16, December.
    3. Stansfeld, Stephen & Smuk, Melanie & Onwumere, Juliana & Clark, Charlotte & Pike, Cleo & McManus, Sally & Harris, Jenny & Bebbington, Paul, 2014. "Stressors and common mental disorder in informal carers – An analysis of the English Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 190-198.
    4. Margareta Östman & Tuula Wallsten & Lars Kjellin, 2005. "Family Burden and Relatives' Participation in Psychiatric Care: Are the Patient's Diagnosis and the Relation to the Patient of Importance?," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 51(4), pages 291-301, December.
    5. Margareta Ostman & Lars Hansson & Kristina Andersson, 2000. "Family Burden, Participation in Care and Mental Health - an 11-Year Comparison of the Situation of Relatives To Compulsorily and Voluntarily Admitted Patients," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 46(3), pages 191-200, September.

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