Studying mental illness: a student's perspective.
Upon deinstitutionalization, a mentally ill person's awareness of the stigma attached to his or her illness can negatively influence any effort to become a productive member of society. Support systems are vital in that they facilitate such efforts. The family is perhaps the most important support system because it provides emotional support, which is crucial because it promotes a sense of self-esteem and decreases depression, anxiety, sickness, and mortality. An awareness of stigma on the part of the family could undermine its role as a support system for a relative with mental illness.
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