ABSTRACT
Between 40 and 60 percent of persons with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder live at home (Brown and Birtwistle, 1998; Carpentier et al., 1992; Goldman, 1984), and many others maintain regular contact with their relatives. For many individuals with these illnesses, family ties are the most important social relationships in their lives, and family support is critical to their well-being. However, family relationships are often strained by the presence of a psychiatric illness, which can have important clinical implications for the management of the disorder. Several factors account for the difficulties families experience when coping with a severe mental illness in a member.
