Mental Illness and the Family

This open session invites papers that explore the sociological impact of mental illness on families, friends and carers. Mental illness is often understood through individual diagnosis, treatment and recovery, yet its effects are also deeply relational, shaping everyday responsibilities, emotional labour, family dynamics, social roles and access to support. We welcome contributions that examine how families, friends and carers experience, respond to and make sense of mental distress, as well as the ways in which social structures, stigma, inequality and service systems influence those experiences. Papers may address informal care, intergenerational relationships, friendship networks, community support, policy and practice responses, or strategies that mitigate harm and strengthen resilience. We are particularly interested in work that draws on sociological theory, empirical research, lived experience, interdisciplinary perspectives, or practice-based knowledge. The session aims to create a supportive space for critical discussion about the wider social consequences of mental illness and the relationships that sustain people through crisis, recovery and ongoing care. Submissions from researchers, practitioners, postgraduate students and people with relevant lived experience are warmly encouraged.