Relationship Quality Among Persons with Serious Mental Illness and Their Relatives: Rates and Correlates
Travis Labrum, Kathryn Luk, Christina Newhill, and Phyllis Solomon
About: Supportive family relationships for persons with serious mental illness (SMI) are connected to better overall health outcomes and are essential to the recovery process. However, there has not been much research on the specific positive family dynamics that contribute to better outcomes for this population and the impact of relationship quality on recovery. In ‘Relationship Quality Among Persons with Serious Mental Illness and Their Relatives: Rates and Correlates’, the authors examined factors such as emotional overinvolvement and limit-setting practices on relationship quality for individuals with SMI and their relatives. Despite the fact that things like perceived emotional overinvolvement could negatively impact relationship quality, most participants in this study reported high levels of relationship quality with their relatives, indicating that positive family qualities are common in families that include a member with SMI. In light of these findings, the authors encourage clinicians to support persons with SMI to invest in their familial relationships. Doing so may not only increase relationship quality but may also facilitate the process of recovery.
Key Insights:
- Family relationship quality of persons with SMI are influenced by factors similar to those for other groups of people.
- Given the importance of social relationships in experiencing recovery, clinicians should assess relationship quality when working with persons with SMI.