Living With the Mentally Ill: Factors Affecting Household Complaints

Data provided by case managers in community support programs are used to analyze the problems of families providing shelter to mentally ill relatives. Factors affecting complaints in 345 family households are contrasted with factors leading to complaints in a subsample of 622 other residential alternatives. Behavioral problems are the best predictors of complaints from all households regardless of type, but some causal factors identified are unique to family residences, notably failure to perform household chores and infrequently socializing with friends. Active and passive rule violations, encompassing both do's and don'ts, are more important than clinical history and social background in understanding complaints.