Feelings and attitudes were investigated among family members with mentally ill relatives whose treatment delivery system was being "deinstitutionalized" or moved from hospital-based treatment to community-based treatment. Subjects (N=125) were interviewed at home by either mental health professionals or professional interviewers. Results indicated that: (1) family members felt embarrassment at having the former patient at home, but not an overwhelming sense of burden unless the patient's behavior was highly overtly symptomatic; (2) families without adult support were more likely to feel burdened; (3) normal routines tended to be disrupted most often when only one relative was present to cope with the former patient; and (4) parents tend to be the most accommodating when the former patient's behavior is judged "abnormal." (Author/HLM)