Families of chronically mentally ill patients: their structure, coping resources, and tolerance for deviant behavior

The attitudes of families toward caring for a mentally ill member in the home are explored through in-depth interviews with 105 families of chronically ill psychiatric patients from a public and a private hospital. Family readiness, defined as having the ability and the willingness to supervise the patient, was measured by the St. Paul Scale of Family Functioning and the Tolerance of Deviant Behavior Scale. Findings revealed a significant relationship between the respondent's belief in his or her ability to manage the behavior of the patient and willingness to accept the patient into the home as measured by tolerance for deviant behavior. No significant relationships were found between family resources, level of functioning, income, or community connectedness. Implications for practice and study limitations are discussed.