Determining the caregivers' burden in caregivers of patients with mental illness.

Salma Siddiqui,Javeria Khalid

doi:10.12669/pjms.35.5.720

Abstract

Objective:To examine the factors associated with caregivers’ burden in individuals providing care to family members suffering from serious mental illness.Methods:This Cross Sectional Study was carried out at Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health, Rawalpindi, from May 2015 to December 2015. A purposive sample of 120 family caregivers (60 males and 60 females, age range= 18-65) who were taking care of patients with serious mental illness (i.e. Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder & Schizophrenia) for at least one year were recruited from the hospital and assessed through Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and Brief COPE inventory. The decline in functional status, and diminished physical capacity compromising the independent living of the care recipient was assessed through Katz Index of Independence in Activities of daily living (ADL) and Lawton Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL).Results:The results suggest that the longer the duration of illness (F=25.71, p < 0.01), with increased impairments of care-recipients, (decline in functional status, F=21.33, p < 0.001; diminished physical capacity F =32.41, p < 0.001) the more the burden experienced by the caregivers. Moreover, caregivers who were married (t=-2.98, p < .01), less educated (t =5.48, p < .01), lived in rural area (t = -7.99, p < .01), had lower monthly income (t = -4.95, p < .01) provide longer hours of caregiving (F=19.12, p < 0.001) and used avoidant coping behavior (F= 56.37, p < 0.001) reported significantly higher caregiver burden than caregivers who were unmarried, more educated, lived in urban area and had better income.Conclusion:The results of study demonstrate that caring for family members with serious mental illness impacts the caregivers’ wellbeing. It, therefore, highlights the need for support and counseling services for the caregivers to reduce the burden of caring.

Highlights

Providing care to family members suffering from prolonged illness challenges the wellbeing of the caregivers
The task of caregiving becomes further challenging if the family member is suffering from a serious mental illness as the stigma of mental illness adds to this burden of caring
The patients suffering with serious mental illness develop a strong dependency on caregivers mainly due to the significant impairment associated with their illness

Summary

Introduction

Providing care to family members suffering from prolonged illness challenges the wellbeing of the caregivers. The patients suffering with serious mental illness develop a strong dependency on caregivers mainly due to the significant impairment associated with their illness. This dependency and responsibility for caring affect quality of life of caregivers impacting their health, work, socializing, relationships and adds to their distress.[2] The literature differentiates burden with regard to its impact as objective (e.g. disruption in caregiver’s life in terms of household routine, social activities and financial/employment difficulties) and subjective (emotional distress experienced by caregivers, e.g. sadness, fear, anger, guilt, loss, stigma and rejection.3) the socio-demographical factors and illness related aspects of both care-recipients and caregivers have been seen as adding to care giver’s burden.[4,5] This may result in a neglect of caregivers’ own health and other social and personal needs, which in turn reduces their capacity to deal with the care demands efficiently.[6]

Methods

Results

Conclusion