According to the World Health Organization's World Health Report 2001, one family in four worldwide has at least one member currently suffering from a mental disorder. This disorder often remains undiagnosed and untreated, but the behaviour of the ill person usually has a significant impact on the quality of life of the family and on the mental health of the other members of the family, and generates feelings of shame, guilt, helplessness and despair.

This book provides a comprehensive picture of currently available evidence about the specific characteristics of the burden on the families of people with the various mental disorders, the coping strategies which increase or decrease this burden, the family interventions of proven efficacy, and what should be said and what should not be said to the relatives of people with the various conditions.