This study aims to contribute for a better understanding on the relationship between multiproblem families and social agencies, mainly how families try to find support in larger systems. Usually, multiproblem families are also multiassisted, since the several problems they live attract intervention from a wide range of social protection services.

This investigation used a qualitative approach; data were collected by 56 multiproblem households, through a semi-structured interview. Findings suggest seven categories of families: outsiders (reject the existence of problems, so never try to find support); resigned (renounce to look for formal support after a first refusal, and continue coping on their owns with problems); persistent (insist in getting support from several social agencies); exaggerate (any minimal difficulty justifies the search for formal support); balanced (apply for formal support just when experience difficult to deal with problems); imprudent (ask for support to social agencies just when problems reach a unsustainable level); ignored (do not try to get support, and any formal help gets them)