Shirley Glynn, PhD

Interviewed Fall 2003

Archived Profiles

Shirley M. Glynn, Ph.D., is an Associate Research Psychologist at the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Bio-Behavioral Sciences and Clinical Research Psychologist at the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Care System at West Los Angeles. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has been involved in clinical treatment and research with seriously mentally ill (SMI) persons for nearly 20 years. Her primary interests have been the development and implementation of psychosocial programs for SMI persons, including family psychoeducational and behavior therapy groups.

What first sparked your interest in working with individuals with SMI and their families?

I became interested in working with families affected by serious mental illness, in part, because of intellectual interest, but mostly due to my frustration in finding these much needed services. I feel incredibly fortunate to get to do what I love and be paid for it. When I was in graduate school years ago reading articles written by many of my current colleagues, I never would have even dared to hope that I would have the chance to work side by side with them in the future. That is a gift.

What changes have you noticed over the years that you have worked with SMI in treatment, role of families, role of patient?

Community based treatment has changed everything. Now there is more responsibility/burden on family members to assist their loved ones on a daily basis. If folks are not able to be hospitalized, there is often an implicit assumption that their families or other caregivers will provide supervision and support 24/7. Many families rise to the occasion with remarkable strength and fortitude. Others really struggle and need a tremendous amount of support; often relatives are dealing concurrently with their own psychiatric illnesses or other life challenges, and a psychiatrically ill loved one is just one of the (too many challenges) they confront. Now, as budget constraints grow and the systems ratchet down services such as housing, supported employment, and the like, the demands on families are rising even higher. This can create tremendous stress for families and clients. On the plus side however, many more family members and clients are becoming sophisticated about both psychiatric illnesses and getting needs met. The advocacy movement is terrific.