A Phenomenological Exploration of the Family's Role in the Recovery of Combat Service Military Personnel with Psychiatric Disorders

Combat service military personnel are frequently exposed to traumatic events that place them at heightened risk for developing psychiatric disorders. While clinical interventions remain essential, the role of the family is also significant in the healing process. This study explored the lived experiences of Filipino combat service military personnel with psychiatric disorders, particularly focusing on how family involvement shaped their recovery. Using a qualitative phenomenological design grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Family Systems as a theoretical framework, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight combat service military personnel admitted to the Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center. Data were analyzed through IPA’s refined methodological approach of Smith, Flowers, and Larkin (2021). Findings revealed four interrelated themes: (1) the role of family in recovery, (2) familial support as a source of coping, identity, purpose, and psychological resilience; (3) barriers to receiving support from family, and (4) psychological impact linked to familial strain and emotional burden, where family emerged both as a protective and, at times, stressful force, capable of strengthening resilience while also intensifying emotional distress when support was limited or conflicted. The findings also culminated in the development of the Emergent Three-Role Filipino Family Recovery Model: (a) Emotional and Motivational, (b) Cognitive and Collaborative, and (c) Practical and Instrumental. These roles collectively underscore that familial support emphasizes the family as an emotional anchor, cognitive guide, and practical stabilizer. The study underscores the need for culturally responsive, family-centered approaches in military mental health services and policy development in the Philippines.