Family relationships with people who have bipolar affective disorder

Objective: to know the perspective of family members about the relationship with people who have bipolar affective disorder. Method: qualitative study carried out with seven family members. Data were collected through interviews in March and April 2014 and analyzed according to content analysis. Results: the relationship is based on the way in which the family organizes the support network between its members and the challenges in everyday family relationships. Among the challenges are mood changes, emotional, physical and financial overload, difficulty in adhering to the use of psychiatric drugs, and non-acceptance of the diagnosis. Final considerations: it is important to embrace and provide moments of listening to family members in health services so as to understand their needs and implement assertive strategies to improve the care provided by the health team.