Family Coping With the Mentally Ill: An Unanticipated Problem of Deinstitutionalization

The author studied 125 families to determine the effect of the current movement toward returning mental patients to their homes. From interviews with and attitudinal tests of those families, he reports that they will generally care for the former patient in their home, often with little shame or embarrassment, and usually without rehospitalizing him. But the former patient's presence, especially when severe psychotic symptoms persist, often puts heavy emotional and social strains on the families. He warns that although families accept the physical presence of the patients, the accompanying social rejection could have serious consequences for the community mental health movement.