Abstract
Background: Family members play an important role in caring for state patients during their
admission to a psychiatric hospital. They receive limited support from the multidisciplinary
team because they do not have a relationship that will promote the families to verbalise their
thoughts, rather the interaction that the multidisciplinary team and family members share is
about the admitted state patient.
Aim: This article explored and described the experiences of family members who have a
relative admitted as a state patient in a psychiatric hospital. Based on the findings, specific
recommendations were provided to facilitate the mental health of state patients’ family
members in the future.
Setting: The study was conducted in participants’ homes; only one interview took place in the
psychiatric hospital when the family member came to meet the multidisciplinary team.
Methods: The study employed a qualitative, exploratory and contextual research design.
Family members’ lived experiences were explored using in-depth phenomenological
interviews and later analysed.
Results: The findings indicated family members experienced negative feelings, a sincere desire
to support their relatives and a great need to share information and knowledge about mental
illness.
Conclusion: The study indicated that state patients’ family members’ mental health should be
focused on to improve their understanding of mental illness.
Contribution: The findings of this study call for collaboration between the family members,
the police and multidisciplinary teams from the hospitals, the mental health awareness and
counselling for families.