Family Relations

This study examined whether patient symptoms and relatives' affective behavior, when expressed during directly observed family interactions, are associated with the short-term course of bipolar disorder. Twenty-seven bipolar patients and their relatives participated in two 10-minute family interactions when patients were discharged after a manic episode. Results indicated that patients who showed high levels of odd and grandiose thinking during the interactions were more likely to relapse during a 9-month followup period than patients who did not show these symptoms during the family discussions. Relapse was also associated with high rates of harshly critical and directly supportive statements by relatives. Patients' odd thinking and relatives' harsh criticism were significantly more likely to be correlated when patients relapsed (r = .53) than when they did not relapse (r = .12). Results suggest that bipolar patients who show increased signs of residual symptomatology during family transactions during the post-hospital period are at increased relapse risk. The data also suggest that relatives of relapsing patients cope with these symptoms by increasing both positive and negative affective behaviors. Moreover, a bidirectional, interactional relationship between patients' symptoms and relatives' coping style seems to capture best the role of the family in predicting relapse in bipolar disorder.

The aim of this study is to investigate relationships between the family strengths in five specific areas, namely, relationship, roles and duties, family self-reliance, social capital, and risk avoidance and self adjustment in the difficult times of the family in relation to mental health of the family members. This study is quantitative in nature. A total of 1,484 population were sampled from household in 4 provinces – Phitsanulok, Kanchanaburi, Chonburi, and Samut Songkhram. To measure family strength,
questionnaire was designed using Department of Women’s Affairs and Family Development's family strength index while mental health of family members is measured using Department of Mental Health’s 15-questions Thai Mental Health Indicator (THI-15). Data was obtained during September – October 2015 and was analyzed using Partial correlation coefficient and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis. The findings reveal that, in general, family strength of Thai family in four areas are good and the mental health is normal. When considering family strengths variables in five specific areas, it was found that they are related. The test of association between family strengths and mental health show that the relationship between family self-reliance, risk avoidance and self-adjustment in the difficult times of the family, and mental health were statistically significant (P<0.05). This study confirms that family strengths directly affect family members. If members of family took care of each other, perform duties and roles efficiently, self-reliance, and have good internal and external social capital, their mental health would be good eventually.

It is well known that various aspects of family functioning can influence children&#39;s drug use, both by promoting resilience and by increasing the risk of use. This review examines studies published in the last 30 years about the influence of family disorganization on children&#39;s drug use. Based on the results, we consider that disorganised families (charactirezed by parents&#39; mental illness, parents&#39; substance use and/or non-intact families) are more likely to have children who are drug users, both legal and illegal. Finally, we stress the need to improve the conceptualization of family disorganization and its assessment, and point out other methodological limitations found in the empirical studies reviewed.