Family burden, participation in care and mental health - An 11-year comparison of the situation of relatives to compulsorily and voluntarily admittedpatients

The changes in family burden and participation in care of relatives to both voluntarily and compulsorily admitted patients were investigated as part o f a longitudinal study of the quality of the mental health services in a Sw edish county performed between 1986 and 1997. The relationship between the relative's mental health and family burden, participation in care and need of own support was also investigated. The results showed similar and high levels of burden and a non-sufficient p articipation in care in both periods investigated despite the ongoing chang es in the delivery of psychiatric services and a change in the compulsory l egislation in Sweden during the period. More relatives experienced an own n eed of care and support from the psychiatric services in the 1997 investiga tion. Relatives who experienced mental health problems of their own more of ten experienced other forms of burden, experienced less participation in th e patient's treatment and also more often had own needs of care and support . It is concluded that interventions in families where relatives experience mental health problems will be useful, since a well-functioning network ar ound the mentally ill person has shown to reduce relapse.