Family Therapy

Abstract

The hospitalisation of a young person, particularly over an extended period of time, inevitably impacts on the entire family. Prior to admission to the Walker Unit, the young person and their family will have typically engaged with several other inpatient services and will have been exposed to a range of psychological and pharmacological treatments, with mixed results. However when discharged into the same unchanged family milieu, a deterioration can occur resulting in rehospitalisation and the need for further intensive care. By the time families arrive at a Walker admission, they are probably suffering treatment fatigue due to the impact of long hospitalisation and the impact of chronic mental illness. This needs to be overcome.