摘要：During 1998 the discharge of as many as possible psychiatric patients from long-term psychiatric hospitals in the North-West Province, in other words deinstitutionalisation, were planned (Roos, 1998). Greater responsibility was therefore placed on families with a psychiatric patient as family member. The researcher(tm)s experience as a psychiatric community nurse was that these families were often not empowered to cope with supporting their family member in the community. Psychiatric outpatients were consequently re-admitted and families be- came discouraged. The research aimed to investigate the perceptions of the patient and the family regarding the contribution of the family as a support system. A further aim was to formulate guidelines for the psychiatric community nurse to mobilise the family as a support system. A qualitative design was followed. Participants were identified by purposeful, voluntary sampling. Data gathering took place by conducting semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed and subjected to coding. The perceptions of both the patient and the family were that the family renders support regarding the patient(tm)s physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions. Conclusions regarding the patient, the family and the interaction between the patient and the family were formulated. Recommendations for nursing research, education and practice, including guidelines for the psychiatric community nurse to mobilise the family as a support system, were formulated. Gedurende 1998 is die ontslag van so veel moontlik psigiatriese pasiรซnte van langtermyn-psigiatriese hospitale in die Noordwes-Provinsie, met ander woorde deรฏnstitusionalisering, beplan (Roos, 1998). Groter verantwoordelikheid was op gesinne van psigiatriese pasiรซnte geplaas. Die navorser se ervaring as psigiatriese gemeenskapsverpleegkundige was dat hierdie gesinne heel dikwels nie bemagtig was om hulle gesinne in die gemeenskap te ondersteun nie. Psigiatriese buitepasiรซnte was gevolglik heropgeneem en gesinne het 'n gevoel van moedeloosheid ervaar. Die navorsing was daarop gerig om die sienings van die pasiรซnt en die gesin ten opsigte van die bydrae van die gesin as ondersteuningstelsel te ondersoek. 'n Verdere doel was om riglyne om die gesin as ondersteuningstelsel te mobiliseer, vir die psigiatriese gemeenskapsverpleegkundige te formuleer. 'n Kwalitatiewe ontwerp is gevolg. Deelnemers is deur middel van doelgerigte, vrywillige steekproefneming geรฏdentifiseer. Data-insameling het plaasgevind deur die voer van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude. Die onderhoude is getranskribeer en gekodeer. Die sienings van beide die pasiรซnt en die gesin is dat die gesin ondersteuning bied ten opsigte van die pasiรซnt se fisieke, psigiese, sosiale en geestelike dimensies. Gevolgtrekkings is gemaak ten opsigte van die pasiรซnt, die gesin en die interaksie tussen die pasiรซnt en die gesin. Aanbevelings vir verpleegnavorsing, -onderrig en -praktyk, insluitende riglyne vir die psigiatriese gemeenskapsverpleegkundige om die gesin as ondersteuningstelsel te mobiliseer, is geformuleer. Health SA Gesondheid Vol.9(2) 2004: 3-19
