Dr. Kimberly K. Mathos knows the lengths families will go to try to help their loved ones who are mentally ill -- from parents searching homeless shelters looking for a son who has disappeared to a daughter taking charge of the affairs of a mentally ill mother.

They do it for love. They certainly don't do it for recognition from the loved one they are trying to help, she said.

"It's a thankless job being a family member of someone who has mental illness, because they don't appreciate it," said Dr. Mathos, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a psychiatric consultant for Community Counseling Center of Mercer County.

Family members can have a significant impact on the long-term health of a person with mental illness, from lessening the stress in a person's environment to helping medical professionals identify relapse triggers.

But they also need to care for themselves, Dr. Mathos said. Oftentimes, their stress levels rise as a result of trying to help someone else.