Domain 7 - Family and other supports (Contextual Domain)

Overview

This domain considers whether personal supports, including emotionally nurturing relationships, practical support, and social support are present in the person’s environment and their potential to contribute to improved mental health. This domain does consider professional services, where the service is focused on providing practical and social support. Family and other supports include:

  • Family members and caregivers.

  • Friends and peers.

  • Supports within the community (e.g., cultural connections, elders, spiritual leaders, social groups, neighbours etc.).

  • Practical and social support services (including aged care-related supports).

A lack of support might contribute to the onset or continuation of the mental health issue or impact on recovery.

Scoring

0 = Highly supported

  1. Personal supports are highly supportive and meet the person’s emotional, practical, and social needs.

1 = Well supported

  1. There are a few personal supports available, that are seen as valuable by the person and are willing and capable of providing emotional, practical, and social support.

2 = Limited supports

  1. Usual sources of useful support may be reluctant to provide support, difficult to access or have insufficient resources to provide emotional, practical, or social support whenever it is needed, or the person is reluctant to access the available supports.

3 = Minimal supports

  1. Very few actual or potential useful sources of support are available, willing to and capable of providing emotional, practical, or social support.

  2. Despite the person requiring them, a substitute decision-maker has not facilitated access to services and support in the past.

4 = No supports

  1. No useful sources of support are available, and emotional, practical, and/or social needs are mostly unmet.