Family interactions in the mental disorder context: a study concerning the family strengths

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying forces that enable families who have a mentally disordered person at home to positively deal with the demands imposed by the disorder on the daily life. This is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research developed with six families who commonly go to a Center of Psychosocial Care (CAP). Data was collected between December/2009 and April/2010 through semi-structured interviews. The results showed as the family strength: the time spent and shared with the family, the affection, the knowledge accumulated by the family living with the mentally disordered individual, the church and CAPS. Based on these results it can be concluded that: the family strength which is manifested in the micro context and in other environments in which the family interacts; the families have a potential that when triggered enable them to deal with the everyday life difficulties; the nurses can identify and motivate the families potentials as they are the professionals who are closer to the families.