title: Community families: A qualitative study of families who volunteer to support persons with severe mental illness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social interventions targeted at people with severe mental illness (SMI) often include volunteers. Volunteers' perspectives are important for these interventions to work. This article investigates the experiences of volunteer families who befriend a person with SMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative interviews with members of volunteer families.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The families were motivated by helping a vulnerable person and by engaging in a rewarding relationship. However, the families often doubted their personal judgement and relied on mental health workers to act as safety net.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The volunteer involvement is meaningful but also challenging. The families value professional support.
authors.affiliation: 1 DEFACTUM - Public Health & Health Services Research, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lotte Groth
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: 1 DEFACTUM - Public Health & Health Services Research, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Stina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.affiliation: 2 Unit for Psychiatric Research and Department S, Psychiatric Hospital, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.|3 Unit for Psychiatric Research and Department M, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jørgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aagaard
authors.affiliation: 1 DEFACTUM - Public Health & Health Services Research, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Væggemose
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Severe mental illness; befriending; community mental health; qualitative research; social support; volunteering