THE PLACE OF THE FAMILY IN MENTAL-HEALTH NURSING - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

The importance of the family system as, in recent years, been de-empha sized in the planning and delivery of mental health services. A sample of the psychiatric nursing literature over the last 4 decades is revi ewed to reveal that this is not a new phenomenon with regard to psychi atric nursing practice. The shortcomings of such a de-emphasis are dis cussed, some exceptions to the rule are described and some suggestions for future development of family interventions by mental health nurse s are made.