TY - JOUR ID - TI - •Family knowledge about mental illness AU - Abdul Zahra Mohammed alkhafaji PY - 2011 VL - 4 no 2 IS - 10 SP - 1041 EP - 1046 JO - Karbala Journal of Medicine مجلة كربلاء الطبية SN - 19905483 29580889 AB - Background: Family is the most vital & important environmental factor in the life experience of any individual. It has a major effect on the development, treatment & prognosis of mental illness.Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of relatives with a mentally ill patient about Causes, treatment & prognosis of mental illness.Methods: One hundred sixty relatives of schizophrenic out patients who live with them & who accompany them to Al-Diwania Teaching Hospital Psychiatric Unit were studied using a questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge of the relatives about causes, treatment & prognosis of their patients.First all patients , included in the study were schizophrenic diagnosed according to a semi-structured interview based on the criteria of /IDCL , International Diagnostic Checklist for /ICD-10 schizophrenia.Results: The results of the study show the general view of patients’ relative about mental illness & their defective knowledge.Conclusion: Most of the relatives lack the knowledge about causes, treatment & prognosis of the mental disorder. Which usually lead to delayed adequate psychiatric treatment?

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