Basic research on family support for the mentally handicapped: the challenge of transitioning to social support

• Project/Area Number: 24730477
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Social welfare and social work studies
• Research Institution: Shukutoku University
• Principal Investigator: ITO CHIHIRO 淑徳大学, 社会福祉学部, 講師 (50458410)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
• Keywords: 精神障害者 / 家族支援 / 精神保健福祉

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To establish a basis for the necessity of supporting not only the mentally handicapped but also their families,this study was conducted through interviews with mothers of schizophrenic children.Based on this,observaitions on the Meriden Family Programme were carried out in order to obtain concrete knowledge about family-support policies.The results of this study suggest that 1)mothers are not limited to providing direct care to their schizophrenic children,but their lifestyles are also strongly influenced by them,and 2)the long-term effect of this influence creates an“inseparable relationship”between the mother and child.Meriden-style home-visit support that targets the entire family,including the handicapped child,has been demonstrated to be effective.