2021/05/01 by HS Ong, Hock Soo Ong, PA Fernandez +2
Medicine · Psychology · #Family Caregiving in Mental Illness #Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum #Mental Health Treatment and Access
paper · pdf · doi:10.11622/smedj.2021057
crossref issued 2021/05/01 · crossref published 2021/05/01 · crossref published-online 2021/05/01 · crossref published-print 2021/05/01 · openalex publication_date 2021/05/01 · crossref created 2021/06/09 · crossref deposited 2022/08/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/08/04 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
The family unit plays a crucial role in patients with mental illness. Mental health problems have been associated with an assortment of dysfunctional social and psychological processes in one's family of origin, yet families are now expected to be responsible for the care of the patient with mental illness. There are many short- and long-term benefits of engaging the families in the care of patients with mental illness. However, the implementation of family engagement in patients with mental illness is fraught with challenges. The primary care provider possesses several distinctive characteristics that lend an advantage to successfully engaging the families of patients with mental illness, such as better accessibility, better rapport, and being associated with less stigma. Primary care providers could engage the family in various ways, ranging from basic functions such as psychoeducation and supporting the family's needs, to more specialised interventions such as family assessment and family therapy.