Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Community Psychology in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, 2006. / The present study investigated the role that is played by family members in helping psychiatric patients cope with their illnesses. Twenty-seven psychiatric patients participated in the study. Of these, eighteen had been admitted to the local hospital for various complaints, and had been referred to the psychologist for psychotherapy. Nine participants were seen during private consultation sessions with the author/researcher. A convenient sample was used in that the criterion for inclusion of participants in the sample was based on patients suffering from certain psychiatric illnesses for example mood disorders, psychotic disorders or anxiety disorders. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The questionnaire covered participants' biographical information, details about psychiatric patients' illness such as their initial reactions to the diagnosis, knowledge about the illness, the level of support they received from family members and the community and the perceived causes of the illness. The procedure for data collection involved directed conversations in which patients reflected on their experiences both in and out of the hospital, for example the level of support they received from the family and community members, and information about their psychiatric conditions after being discharged from hospital. In addition, family members were asked to express their feelings and perceptions about the patients' conditions including the challenges they encountered as a result of having a family member with a psychiatric illness. The results of the study were that many psychiatric patients reacted with shock, fear and confusion to their illness diagnosis. Many also appeared to have some knowledge of the illness, including the belief by some that they had been bewitched. Some of the patients were unemployed as a result of being mentally ill, and this led to financial strains in the family. The main finding of the study was that most psychiatric patients still continue to be discriminated against in the communities in which they live. Most family members, however, were found to be supportive to their mentally ill relative. Some of the challenges faced by family members included a lack of knowledge about the illnesses affecting their relatives. The results of the study are generally consistent with the findings by other investigators regarding the important role that is played by family members in helping their relatives cope with psychiatric illnesses. In addition the study highlighted an urgent need by the government to improve mental health services by, among other things, providing adequately qualified professionals who may facilitate the process of integrating mentally ill persons with their communities.