Mental illness and family burden: a public health perspective

Family burden is the emotional and economic strain that family members experience when a relative is discharged from a mental hospital and returns home. Since World War II the length of hospital stays has declined steadily, and deinstitutionalization has promoted community care of the mentally ill. Studies suggest that more than 65 per cent of discharged mental patients return to their families. Family burden is a complex problem that seriously affects the treatment of chronic mental patients. The author discusses the scope of family burden and outlines some practical solutions.