Supporting the Families of People with Behavioural/Psychiatric Difficulties

Abstract

The literature on the effect on the family of a person with learning difficulties and behaviour disorders is reviewed. Parents of children with behaviour problems more often seek out of home placements and some, but not all, studies show behaviour problems to have an effect on family functioning and family stress, this effect appearing stronger in families of children than of adults. Siblings, who in general are not badly affected by having a brother or sister with learning difficulties, may be distressed by behaviour problems especially when they have to cope with these themselves. Many studies show that parents can be taught, either individually or in groups, to use behavioural methods in order to handle their children's problems more effectively but there is a dearth of similar studies where families of adults are concerned.