Educational Media Reviews Online

This video focuses on the lives of three individuals, their families, friends and support network. Randy, age 35, and Brad, age 31, were both diagnosed in their teens with schizophrenia. Rob, age 42, was diagnosed with severe depressive and obsessive compulsive disorders. Filming for the video took place over a three year period with some older footage being added from family movies and still photographs.

Randy and Brad live in a supportive family environment. Rob currently lives alone in his family home since his elderly mother developed Alzheimer’s and is now in a nursing home. But because of increasing difficulties related to their care, their families are working with a family centered mental health program called Wilpower which is trying to treat them and assist them to function in a more independent environment. Eventually Wilpower succeeds in placing all three in either group homes or apartments, but it is a long difficult process for all involved. Over the years of filming we experience each individual’s turmoil as they experience the impact of changes in their medications and their family relations. The viewer can readily observe both patient and caregiver burnout in trying to deal with long term mental health issues.