The Psychology Centre

Family Inclusion in Mental Health Services.

John Fitzgerald & Karma Galyer

A thematic literature review commissioned by the Mental Health Commission, New Zealand.

Under the Mental Health Commission Amendment Act 2007, the Mental Health Commission is mandated to advocate for the best interests of people with a mental illness and/or addiction, and their families. Within this context the Mental Health Commission initiated a project exploring the role of families in mental health services. This project aimed to promote the inclusion of families, whânau, and/or support networks in all levels of mental health service, from individual interventions through to the development of the service itself. This literature review was part of the initial stage of the Mental Health Commission’s family project. The objectives of this review were to consider the concepts of 'family' described in the literature (academic and 'grey' literature), and to better understand the benefits of family inclusion in mental health and addictions services. Family inclusion, for the purposes of this review, was focused on the processes mental health services undertake with families when providing care. Interventions provided to or for families, (e.g., family therapy) were not considered extensively. For the purposes of this review they were considered as examples of mental health care that have the scope to intervene with the family as a whole system.

We completed this contract on time at the end of November 2007.

The final report can be downloaded here.

Link: Mental Health Commission