FAMILY SUPPORT AND COPING WITH CHRONIC DISEASES

This article critically examines the efficacy of family support in cop ing with chronic diseases. While warm family relationships help in dea ling with a disease, there are vulnearable families, which instead of providing support, are themselves in need of support in a crisis situa tion. The article stresses the need to identify such families and to i nvolve professionals in building realistic expectations about the dise ase and its ramifications.