Ethnicity, social status, and families' experiences of caring for a mentally ill family member

There is growing attention to the role of families as caregivers of family members with serious mental illness. This paper presents data from a multicultural sample of 90 family caregivers from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The paper examines families' experiences with mental health services; their support networks and family burdens; and their conceptions of mental illness. The paper both provides one of the first comparative studies of family caregivers from different ethnic groups and suggests an agenda for future research in this area.