Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this article is to define the characteristics of effective support in community mental health settings for patients with serious and persistent mental illness.
Method: A broad literature providing empirical evidence on competent caregiver behaviours and styles is selectively reviewed. Relevant findings from family caregiver research and studies of social environments that enhance skill development in people with intellectual disabilities are incorporated, within a cognitive-behavioural framework.
Results: Six important domains are identified which represent positive caregiver styles: acceptance, creating a positive atmosphere, expectations of change, responsiveness, normalisation and educativeness.
Conclusion: The characteristics hypothesised to be critical for caregivers and support workers are defined in a general way that can allow for individualisation according to the goals of the programs and the cultural priorities of staff and patients. Further empirical validation of these characteristics would enable community mental health services to provide more specialised clinical treatments.