Caring for family members with 'Mental Illness' in Singapore.

Abstract

Drawing on in-depth interview data, this study explores lay beliefs of ‘mental illness’ in the Asian context of Singapore wherein deeply-rooted ethnocultural/religious beliefs influence coping and help-seeking behaviour. This study observes two striking trends among caregivers for family members with mental illness: i) the utilization of both modern mental health services and religious/spiritual healing and, ii) the centrality of religious beliefs to how caregivers cope with the emotional costs of caring. To draw as fully as possible from the human dimension of illness and suffering through the lens of caregivers, ‘mental illness’ is contemplated as a cultural domain. The focus on lay beliefs of ‘mental illness’ in the lived realities of family caregivers is critical to understand how they make sense of ‘mental illness’ and their obligation to care. In doing so, this study attempts to fill a gap in the current literature pertaining to the influence of lay beliefs on the treatment of ‘mental illness’ in Singapore.