Posttraumatic Growth and Impacting Factors in Caregivers of Patients with Schizophrenia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Caregiving for a schizophrenic patient is traumatic for caregivers. Negative effects of this experience have been evaluated, however, the data about posttraumatic growth of caregivers of schizophrenic patients is limited. We aimed to investigate the posttraumatic growth and affecting factors in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in this study. Eighty patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and their primary caregivers (each, n = 80) were included. The patients’ demographic data and their caregivers’ psychiatric history, posttraumatic growth level, religious commitment, and social support were investigated. The impact of the factors associated with patients and their caregivers on posttraumatic growth level were analyzed with regression analysis. Regression analysis revealed that perceived social support, religious commitment, and posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis were independent affecting factors of posttraumatic growth level. The present study shows that perceived social support, religious commitment, and posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis are independent affecting factors of posttraumatic growth. Few studies have investigated posttraumatic growth in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia, and further studies should be performed to support caregivers effectively.