Abstract
Women who live with mental illness often experience numerous psychiatric hospitalizations. Most of these women are hospitalized due to life stressors and have minimal or no support system intact. Support can be family, friends, peers, and professionals in the community. Many women today are still oppressed and find it difficult to maneuver through life and maintain their mental health without the proper
supports available. Overall women who live with mental illness often have difficulty developing and maintaining social relationships. Having family, friends, peers, and professionals involved in the recovery process can give women the support they need when they are in crisis. Support can prevent women from the possibility of another hospitalization. Collecting data on the level of supports women are receiving is vital in learning how to develop and maintain their support system in hopes of preventing future hospitalizations.