Families and mental illness: Observations from two developing countries

When people think of developing countries, their image is often of standards of living lower than Europe or the United States, perhaps inadequate road systems, questionable water supplies and the like. These stereotypes often result in people losing sight of the human stories that come out of these cultures. It is possible to focus on economic conditions and miss the urgent social and interpersonal issues that are present. This article reports on research conducted on a major social issue- the needs of families caring for persons with mental illness. This research was carried out in Malaysia and Zimbabwe, two countries dealing with development, but at substantially different rates and in contrasting circumstances. Malaysia is a country rapidly emerging into full industrial and commercial development. The government is completing the phys-ical infrastructure to support the rapid growth of the country’s economy. Well-designed roads, telephone and electric services reaching into even the most remote villages, health care resources, and new schools, colleges and universities all indicate a booming country taking its place on the world stage. In Zimbabwe, on the other hand, two difficult transitions have slowed the pace of economic progress. These changes include its emergence from colonialism (less than 20 years ago) and the more recent move from a centrally planned to a market economy. Like many African countries that initially pursued a Marxist plan fo