Abstract
BackgroundTo our knowledge, no study has examined quality of life (QoL) among caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia between a developing and a developed country. The aim of this study was to assess QoL of the caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia in two countries characterized by different social, economic and cultural conditions, namely Chile and France.MethodsData were collected from public mental health outpatient services in Arica (Chile), and in Marseille (France). QoL was measured with the short-form health survey scale - 36 items (SF36). QoL of 41 Chilean caregivers was firstly compared with 245 French caregivers. Univariate and multivariate analyses using linear regression were then performed to determine variables potentially related to QoL scores.ResultsThe caregivers were primarily mothers in the two groups, but Chilean caregivers were younger, and lived more frequently with the individual with schizophrenia than French caregivers. The SF36 scores were globally low in the two groups, especially on the mental QoL scores. Chilean caregivers reported lower physical SF36 scores than French caregivers. In the multivariate analysis, being mother and Chilean caregivers were the most regular features associating to a lower QoL.ConclusionDespite differences between Chile and France, especially in terms of quality and quantity of mental health services and economic supports, caregivers’ QoL levels remain particularly low for both countries. Future support programmes should address the specific needs of caregivers.
Highlights
To our knowledge, no study has examined quality of life (QoL) among caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia between a developing and a developed country
The Short Form 36 (SF36) scores were globally low in the two groups, especially on the mental scores
There was no statistical significant difference in SF36 mental dimension scores between the two groups, except for Mental Health (MH) dimension which was lower in Chilean caregivers
Summary
No study has examined quality of life (QoL) among caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia between a developing and a developed country. Previous studies mainly documented association of burden with socio-demographic characteristics, coping and social support of caregivers, and severity of symptoms and disabilities of patients [2,5,13,14,15,16]. Cross-cultural or cross-national comparisons of caregivers would help to understand these factors, but only few studies to date have been performed, in particular in developed countries [14,15,17]. These studies were focused on caregivers’ burden. There is an interest in studying caregivers’ QoL from different social, economic and cultural contexts
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