Social support for people suffering from depression and their families
Journal Title: New Medicine - Year 2009, Vol 12, Issue 1
Abstract
The experience of mental illness is a difficult situation not only for the patient but also his or her family. Natural consequences of this morbid state include changes of past lifestyle and social functioning of patients after they went through a mental crisis. Mental illness often leads to a situation where patients are isolated from society and experience social discrimination and stigma. It results in loneliness, a sense of isolation and not being understood, which may exacerbate patients' illness. That is why support received from close relatives and friends becomes so important, for it complements the help and support provided by clinicians and the whole therapeutic team during the course of treatment.The objective of this work was to try to define the role of social support and its influence on the well-being of the mentally ill. In order to achieve this purpose, the literature regarding this topic and personal experiences obtained while working in the psychiatric unit were reviewed. This paper describes depressive symptoms classified according to ICD-10. It also discusses their consequences for social functioning of a suffering person and analyses social support and its sources in the light of interpersonal relations and interactions.
Authors and Affiliations
Ewa Wilczek-Rużyczka
Keywords
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