A positive aspect of caregiving: the influence of social support on caregiving gains for family members of relatives with schizophrenia.

This study examines family members' caregiving gains as a result of caring for their relatives with schizophrenic spectrum disorders, and the influence of formal and informal social support on these positive experiences. The results from interviews with 560 family members support that the experience of caregiving gains is prevalent. Moreover, formal support from mental health professionals through information sharing and collaborative interactions with family members, and informal support from other family members, support group participation, and contributions from the relative with mental illness all have significant, positive associations with family members' experiences of caregiving gains.