Family psychiatry is a whole-family approach to the management of mental illness. It includes treatment of the patient with family dynamics in mind, as well as family education, and measures to allow patients to receive care and support at home. Patients of all ages can often benefit from family psychiatry, although it is most commonly used with pediatric patients. There are a number of different approaches within this discipline to suit patients with different needs.
Practitioners in this area can evaluate patients and their family members to discuss why they’re seeking treatment and how they want to move forward. In family psychiatry, care providers collect a family history and consider it in the approach to the patient. There’s a heavy focus on the relationships within the family and how they harm or benefit the patient. In therapy, practitioner and client can lay a groundwork to help the patient remain independent and function within the family dynamic.
Treatment options can include medications, psychotherapy, group therapy sessions, and family therapy. In family therapy, family members attend sessions together. This can enable open communication about ongoing issues in addition to helping people with conflict resolution. Individual family members can also see the therapist on their own to discuss the patient and where they fit into the family dynamic. For example, a young sibling who experiences jealousy because the attention an older sibling gets as a result of illness might work with a therapist on expressing that emotion and working through it.
Inpatient and outpatient therapy are available. Patients in crisis may need inpatient therapy, particularly if family dynamics are contributing and they may not be safe at home. A patient with an eating disorder, for example, might find that it is exacerbated because of pressure or messaging at home, and hospitalization could help the patient develop coping tools to use with family. Outpatient treatments allow patients to attend regular sessions to address ongoing issues.
Patients interested in family psychiatry may be able to get a referral from a regular care provider or a professional organization that promotes this discipline. It can help to arrive with some specific therapeutic goals and concerns, as these can help patient and therapist create a structured plan for treatment. Those with concerns about loved ones with mental illness might start by working with a specialist in family psychiatry to determine how they can help and develop an action plan for family members who are struggling to manage their conditions safely.
