title: Beyond symptom management: Family relations, unmet needs of persons living with severe mental illnesses, and potential implications for social work in South Africa.
abstract: This study examined the quality of family relationships and its associations with the severity of unmet needs of individuals admitted to a tertiary psychiatric hospital in South Africa. The quality of family relations and perceived unmet needs were assessed using the Lehman Quality of Life Interview and Camberwell Assessment of Needs, respectively. The results show that higher total unmet needs were associated with lower quality of family relations. The main areas of serious unmet needs included accessing government benefits and information, and establishing social relations. The results have implications for hospital-based social workers beyond managing psychiatric symptoms in South Africa.
authors.affiliation: a Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.|b Department of Epidemiology , Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychiatry, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.
authors.forename: Jonathan K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychiatry, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: d Duke Global Health Institute , Duke University , Durham , North Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Joy Noel
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.affiliation: e New York State Psychiatric Institute , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Glen P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: c Department of Psychiatry, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.
authors.forename: Sisanda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mtshemla
authors.affiliation: f Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division (HEARD) , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.
authors.forename: Siphumelele
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nene
authors.affiliation: b Department of Epidemiology , Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University , New York , New York , USA.|e New York State Psychiatric Institute , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Ezra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Susser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012947:Social Work / Q000379:methods*; D013019:South Africa; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Family relation; South Africa; need assessment; severe mental illness; social work