Abstract:

Almost no current literature addresses the impact on the family life cycle when an adult child is diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental illness. Studies that do exist focus only on the time around diagnosis and are quantitative in nature. Since these types of illnesses are unlikely to remit and there are few long term facilities to provide ongoing care for these patients, families often bear much of the burden of their care over very long periods of time. Recent researchers have identified at least five stages that unfold in the developmental course of family life. This study was a qualitative, retrospective exploration of the experiences of family members who have been caring for a mentally ill child for many years, focusing on the impact of their experiences on the different stages of the family life cycle.

Participants consisted of eight adults, whose children had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, or Bipolar Disorder anywhere from 7-39 years prior to the onset of this study. The participants' ages ranged from 67-82-years-old. Three of the participants' ill children lived in the home with them, with the remainder of the participants remaining instrumental in the care and daily living activities of their ill children.

Findings indicate that there are substantial deviations from the normative family life cycle in families that have been affected by mental illness. The illness had the most impact on the last three stages, Parenting, Launching, and Retirement. Many children did not leave the home of their family of origin, creating new dynamics and responsibilities for other family members. Furthermore, the participants all experienced the diagnosis of their children as a narcissistic injury that was dealt with by means of denial, advocacy, grief, and despair.

Limitations of this study included a previous relationship between the researcher and participants, a small sample size, and a narrow ethnic and demographic variability of the participants. Future research could expand upon this topic by utilizing projective measures, increasing sample size and diversity, and including participants who have not utilized support in coping with their child's illness.