8 Mental Illness and Families

In this chapter, we present the most recent research findings related to thecauses, courses, and treatment of mental illness as a family stressor. We discuss topics relevant to families coping with mentally ill members in refer-ence to the ABC-X model of family stress, and we use personal narratives throughout the chapter to illustrate the links between family issues and com-ponents of the ABC-X model. In addition, we adopt a family systems per-spective, with a focus on the family system as the unit of analysis, in order to demonstrate how all family members interact as a system when the family is coping with one or more members who suffer from a mental disorder. Thus, from a systems perspective, we reformulate questions regarding cause, assessment of family resources, and treatment options within a family sys-tem framework (e.g., What do interaction patterns look like in families that contain members suffering from mental disorders? What are the most useful methods to ameliorate the burdens of families with mentally ill members? What is the most effective way to deliver community-based resources to families with mentally ill members?). Family Stress Theory and Mental Illness Maria is a 21-year-old college student who is living with her parents while she attends classes and works part-time at a local restaurant. Maria is the daugh-ter of Josefina, who is an immigrant from Mexico, and of Robert, who is o