Family functioning and mental illness - A Korean correlational study

Aim: To identify the factors influencing family functioning in families providing care for a member with chronic mental illness. Methods: This descriptive study collected data by questionnaires from 365 families having a family member with chronic mental illness who was receiving treatment at the psychiatric outpatient centres at the University Hospital and National Mental Hospital in Seoul, Korea. Study variables and instruments were family functioning, continuous family stress, knowledge of disease, family hardiness, family support, family sense of coherence, and family coping. Results: The data indicated a statistically significant positive correlation for family functioning, knowledge of disease, family hardiness, family support, family sense of coherence, and family coping. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between family functioning and family stress. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the most powerful predictor of family functioning was family support (55.1%). The combination of family support, family hardiness, family coping, knowledge of disease, and family stress accounted for 61.4% of the variance in family functioning. Conclusions: The results indicate that family support, family hardiness, family coping, knowledge of disease, and family stress are important factors in family functioning. These results may be used for mental health nurses in caring for families and developing nursing interventions.