Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-202).

Thesis (M.G.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Sociology and Gerontology, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [1], iii, 36 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-31).

Thesis (D.N. Sc.)--Catholic University of America. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-88).

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2009. / Directed by Susan Letvak; submitted to the Dept. of Nursing. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed May 11, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-153).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 135 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-132). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-86).

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-86).

M.Cur. (Nursing Science) / People play a major role in each other’s lives and this is because they rely on one another for survival. Many studies have been done on families and how they experience having persons challenged with mental illness but little has been done on couples and how they experience a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness or on the facilitation of the mental health of couples in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the lived experience of couples in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness in order to describe guidelines to facilitate the mental health of the couples. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was utilised. The research was done in two phases. Phase one focused on an exploration of the lived experiences of couples in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness. Phase two focused on guidelines to facilitate the mental health of the couples as a framework for the advanced psychiatric nurse practitioner. Purposive sampling was employed in selecting participants for the research study. The criteria were set out to be: couples in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness with the willingness to participate and above the age of eighteen years. Phenomenological interviews were conducted and field notes gathered. Tesch’s method of data analysis was applied to analyse the data. Themes and categories were identified and a consensus was reached with the independent coder. Measures to ensure trustworthiness were considered and the criteria for ensuring rigour included truth value, applicability, consistency and neutrality. Ethical principles were also adhered to and those included: autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence and justice to protect the human participants. Findings have shown that both partners in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness, experience challenges in the relationship. They experience the relationship as different to what it was before there was mental illness. The couples experience a change in their social roles, as the partner with mental illness cannot work, provide, or fulfil his or her role in the relationship. The partner without mental illness carries more responsibility than before because of the demands which the mental illness imposes in the relationship. There is also emotional upheaval experienced by both partners because being in the relationship for both of them is overwhelming. They also experience interpersonal distance linked to unhealthy relational patterns characterised by constant fights and drifting apart. The couples also experience a changed relationship with the self, and financial challenges as the mental illness cost them a great deal. The partners with mental illness experience rejection and feel undeserving of spousal support, whereas the partners without mental illness experience a burden due to the increased responsibility that they have to assume and that is both socioeconomic and household roles. Guidelines based on the findings as described by the couples were described in Chapter Four in order to facilitate the mental health of couples in a relationship where one is challenged with mental illness. Recommendations for mental health nursing practice, mental health nursing education and mental health nursing research were made. The study was evaluated and limitations were outlined.

The increased abscondment of Mental Health Care Users from institutions of care, treatment and rehabilitation has prompted the researcher to conduct the study because patients who are not visited do not stand a chance of getting a Leave Of Absence (LOA). Problem: The concern is the danger of assault, murder, rape and other high risk situations the mentally ill individuals and the community are exposed to, which is caused by frequent abscondment of mentally unstable individuals who roam around the community without proper treatment and care. This is caused by failure of the relatives in coming to request patients for leave of absence (LOA). Purpose: The study investigated the effects of mental illness on relationships amongst families with the mentally ill members. The number or frequency of visitations by relatives to the mental health institutions is used by the researcher, to measure the nature of relationships between families and the psychiatric patients related to them. Method: The population comprised families of the mentally ill persons admitted at Cecilia Makiwane mental health units. The sample was collected conveniently as relatives came to visit the mentally ill until the desired number was reached. The designed tool was a questionnaire which was self administered. Data were analysed manually. Tables and graphs are shown in the results. Conclusion and Recommendations: The study revealed that approximately 100% of respondents had a lack of knowledge about mental illness and the mentally ill, in terms of care, treatment and rehabilitation hence they all need assistance in dealing with the mentally ill in the community. Findings also revealed that mental illness causes breakdown in family relationships. Recommendations regarding the enhancement of relationships between families and their mentally ill members are formulated as coping skills in the dissertation. The burden of having to deal with mentally ill person whose illness is not understood can lead the family to a state of confusion and iv not knowing what to anticipate. Lack of resources compounds the problem as the family members are not able to visit the ill member due to lack of funds (Baumann, 2007:637). The families with a mentally ill member usually shoulder the greatest part of the burden of mental illness (Uys and Middleton, 2004:77); unfortunately, lack of resources pose a problem.