The transformations of the mental health assistance model, result of the Brazilian Psychiatric Reform, imposed an active role to the families on the recovering processes of a mentally ill family member. This qualitative study, based on social phenomenology, aimed at identifying the impact of the assistance model change on family dynamics. Interviews that expose the typifications elaborated by the families on a daily basis was tried as data gathering instrument. The living family type portraits people that feel overwhelmed with attributions imposed to them by the new assistance model, usurped from their own selves, who start to experience complex and litigious feelings, and feel needy of information, orientation and support from the service.
Mental health; Family; Psychiatric reform; Psychiatric nursing