| It is widely known that adults with chronic and severe mental illness (ACSMI) experience a rupture of social networks after the initial onset of mental illness. Despite the positive influence of improved social relationships on bettering the recovery process and quality of life, few studies are devoted to examining the impact of the social life of ACSMI. It appears that the individual's living situation plays an important role in determining the nature and quality of social interactions. During this recovery process, family members are particularly important in fostering the development of relationships. The rate of individuals with severe and chronic mental illness living with family members is the highest among Asian Americans. To begin with, Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing ethnic minority populations in the United States. There, however, is a paucity of research on Asian American individuals with severe and chronic mental illness. Participants in this qualitative study consisted of 12 Asian American adults. Consistent with the study's inclusion criteria, all participants were living with family members at the time of interview. The participants' ages ranged from 21 to 64 years. This study employed the Phenomenological Method using semi-structured interviews. The method of phenomenological data analysis was used to analyze the interviews. This study examined the lived experience of Asian American adults with chronic and severe mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder) living with family, specifically focusing on the nature, quality, and quantity of social relationships. Based on the themes that emerged from the narratives of participants, the most prominent themes in relation to their social interaction were: empathy, caretaking role, mainstream integration, and cultural influence of living with family. This phenomenological study elucidated that Asian American ACSMI living with family have a deep sense of empathy, high capacity for providing care for others, and profound desire to interact with others. These characteristics provide an outstanding foundation for social functioning leading to rich social interaction. Clinical implications, future research recommendations, and limitations of the study are addressed. |
