Research suggests that siblings of individuals with severe mental illness are affected by the situation of their affected sibling and that the health care services seem to partly fail in meeting their needs for support. The aim of this study was therefore to explore how siblings of individuals with a psychotic illness, and who have participated in a support group, experience their situation. Thirteen informants participated in focus group interviews, which were analysed by inductive content analysis. The findings were interpreted in an overall single theme: A lonely life journey bordered with struggle. This theme consists of three categories: facing existential thoughts, facing ambiguity in approach and engagement, and facing disparate attitudes and expectations.

Research shows that family members of people with a mental illness often experience a lack of involvement in the psychiatric care of their relative. An interpretation of the findings of these studies raises the question of whether the family members' experience of not being involved can be conceptualized in terms of alienation towards mental health services from their encounter with psychiatric care. In order to explore this possibility, the Family Involvement and Alienation Questionnaire (FIAQ) was constructed, guided by relevant theoretical frameworks and empirical research. The content validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by two groups of experienced researchers who had sound knowledge of the theoretical frameworks used. Validity based on the response process was evaluated by the parents of people with mental illness. The reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated by a test-retest design with a group of 15 family members. The data were analyzed by a non-parametric statistical method. The results of the validity and reliability evaluations showed that of the 46 original items in the questionnaire, 28 would be useful in exploring the concept of family involvement and alienation in the context of psychiatric care. Further, minor modifications could make the FIAQ useful in exploring these concepts in other settings.