Background: The care for people with mental illness falls on the family and community. The support system is a quintessential aspect of patient’s recuperation. However, some families experience the feeling of burden, loss, and stigma having a significant impact on the family’s quality of life.Purpose: This meta-synthesis explored the available literature on the experiences of the family about mental illness.Methods: A web-based literature search was conducted. An initial 1,952 studies were retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Ovid-based MEDLINE. Six qualitative studies were included in the review.Results: Findings revealed that family empowerment as the grand theme emerged from the perceived effects of mental illness on the family, the process of coping and their perspectives on family empowerment.Conclusion: Family empowerment offers an openness, readiness, and acceptance towards a holistic care for a family member with a mental illness.