Place of family in recovery models for those with a mental illness

Within the context of mental illness, there is an acknowledgement that the social environment is critical to recovery. Nonetheless, how family roles and interactions are presented in recovery frameworks is unclear. This systematic review sought to: (i) identify how family is defined in recovery models, and (ii) synthesize how family relationships and roles are incorporated into recovery models for those with a mental illness. A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted for peer reviewed, English language papers published between 1980 to April 2013, from Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Proquest, CINAHL plus and Web of Knowledge. Studies were included if they presented a recovery framework and include primary data from people with a mental illness where family was incorporated. A narrative thematic analysis was conducted on the eligible 31 studies, using inductive, open coding techniques. Eight studies did not define what was meant by 'family' while 10 studies focused exclusively on an individual's relationships with parents; six papers collected parenting demographics. Family roles included being a (adult) child, parent, spouse and being part of a 'family'. Family interactions involved being passive recipients of family support, caring for elderly parents and children and reciprocal, give and take relationships. Family interactions and roles offer the opportunity to both facilitate and impede recovery.