ABSTRACT: This study examines family members’ caregiving gains as a result of
caring for their relatives with schizophrenic spectrum disorders, and the influence of
formal and informal social support on these positive experiences. The results from
interviews with 560 family members support that the experience of caregiving gains is
prevalent. Moreover, formal support from mental health professionals through information
sharing and collaborative interactions with family members, and informal
support from other family members, support group participation, and contributions
from the relative with mental illness all have significant, positive associations with
family members’ experiences of caregiving gains.
KEY WORDS: caregiving gains; family caregiver; social support; family-professional relationship;
mental illness.