Box 2.

Role of family in providing mental healthcare and support

Family members provide significant support and care to persons suffering from serious mental illness/psychological distress

Family members are often the primary and only source of social support

Family support is important because

Individual speaks with family members’ everyday and spends a considerable amount of time with them

Family members boost up confidence and assist the individual in the treatment process and ultimately in the long term recovery process of any mental illness/addiction problems

Family members provide unparalleled and selfless emotional support

Family help in maintaining good treatment compliance and rates of medication or therapy adherence are higher in patients with good family support

Family has a crucial role to play in the vocational, social skills training and rehabilitation of the patient, not only because of close family bond that exist in traditional Indian families, but also because of the lack of rehabilitation services in developing countries

Family need to be properly psycho-educated regarding mental health issues and in maintaining a cordial environment at home, supervising medications, reduction of critical comments and to encourage the patient on noticing improvement