ABSTRACT
As with patients, so with relatives in the role of victim, we will ideally want to know something about their background, but we will need to ask for it in a rather different way: • previous major stresses or crises? • serious past illness, mental (be tactful) or physical? • special friend or relative to turn to for support? But remember that unless the relative becomes so distressed that she needs to be regarded as a patient, such enquiries should be made in an informal
and sensitive way. I once heard it said of a relative at a staff meeting that ‘at first he didn’t want to tell us anything about his problems, but he has now become more co-operative’. It sounded a bit like a police investigation.
