Answer:
People who are diagnosed with a mental illness, whatever this may be, carry out an enormous burden, not simply because of their illness, but because of the stigma that these carry before society. They are also a problem for families, who must find coping mechanisms to help the person.
On the objective side of things, Janet´s family will have, as a group, to learn to understand the illness that Janet has been diagnosed with, the necessary treatments and procedures that will be necessary to help her, and their importance in providing Janet with a semblance of normalcy. There is also the issue of medical expenses, doctors, necessary medication, house care if that is necessary, and the sacrifices that as a family they will have to make to face, and help Janet face, the problem. Each of the family members become a support group, and a network, for Janet.
Subjectively, each member has to deal with his/her own feelings towards the diagnosis, and what it entails. The mother and father, being adults, and being a couple, have formed a network between the two of them to face the issue, but each one will face the problem differently. The father, will most likely have to face the issue of providing so that medical costs can be faced, while the mother will have to become the main caregiver. In the case of the siblings, the older one will have to face the issue of stigma, how others perceive his sister and how he will perceive his own sister, now that he knows her diagnosis. The younger one, will have to face the way that her peers view the issue, and respond to ir accordingly.
These are only some of the consequences that will be faced by the family of Sam and Joan, given the diagnosis of mental illness of their daughter Janet.
