When Barbara M. learned that a relative had been diagnosed with mental illness, the news came as a shock. Neither she nor any other members of her family had any experience with mental illness. "I found it difficult to talk to people who hadn't walked in my shoes," recalls the Seattle resident, who requested anonymity. Ultimately, Barbara M. joined an informal support group composed of other relatives of people who had been diagnosed with mental illness. "For the first time, I could speak freely with other people who were facing the same problems," she says.

Having a family member with a mental illness, such as schizophrenia or manic depression, can be stressful and isolating. Therefore, many family members are forming or joining support groups nationwide in order to talk with people who have similar experiences.

In part, the popularity of support groups is based on increasing evidence that support programs help family members cope with a loved one's illness. Phyllis Solomon, PhD, a professor of social work and social work psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, recently studied 225 family members of persons with serious mental illness. She found that belonging to a support group tends to increase a family member's ability to deal with the illness. "The groups give family members a sense of community and belonging as well as coping strategies," she says. Her study concluded that mental health professionals should encourage family members to use the support provided by community-based organizations or to form groups if none are available.

How are support groups organized? A typical mental illness support group meets once a month and is free, although membership in the sponsoring organization is usually encouraged. A few groups are conducted by healthcare professionals, but usually they are led by volunteers who are family members of people with mental illnesses. There are groups for family members and friends of people with mental illnesses. There are also separate groups for teenage relatives, adult children, spouses, and family members of individuals with mental illness who are in trouble with the law.

Support groups can do more than provide comfort and an opportunity to express frustration – they can offer concrete information. "Support groups provide information that people usually can't get elsewhere as they try to navigate their way through the healthcare system," says Sue Batkin, director of support services for the New York chapter of Alliance for the Mentally Ill/Friends and Advocates of the Mentally Ill. She explains that participants provide each other with valuable and insightful information about treatment programs, housing options, and the long-term effects of medications. "Ultimately, support groups empower family members, making them better advocates."

Batkin says she has witnessed many people in support groups gradually develop the ability to manage the mental healthcare system as well as their relationship with a relative who is mentally ill. "Siblings, for example, can feel a tremendous burden and worry that they have to give up their own life to care for their brother or sister. A support group can help them create boundaries and figure out what they can and can't do."

There are support groups available around the country for families of people with mental illness. To locate a local support group, contact the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill at 1-800-950-NAMI (1-800-950-6264) or the National Self-Help Clearinghouse at (212) 354-8525.