"One in 17 Americans suffer from serious mental illnesses worldwide. When you consider all of the parents, siblings, spouses and children connected to these individuals, you see how far the shadow of serious mental illness is cast," said Preston J. Garrison, secretary general and chief executive officer, World Federation for Mental Health. "This survey shows that many caregivers have experienced both the chaos of their loved one's relapse and the relief that comes with stabilization."
Keeping Care Complete reveals the devastating consequences of relapse, defined as the worsening of symptoms after apparent recovery, and sheds light on a desire among caregivers for doctors to focus on long-term care rather than managing crisis situations. The survey was developed by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) and Eli Lilly and Company. Independent market research company Ipsos conducted the survey of caregivers in the United States, as well as in Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Relapse Consequences and Triggers
Caregivers whose family members experienced relapse reported that as a result, their loved ones were unable to work, were hospitalized, tried to
commit suicide and/or were incarcerated. Many of these caregivers also said that their own health and financial situation deteriorated following the
relapse. Among the 110 American caregivers whose family members stopped taking their medicatio
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18-Sep-2006