Quality of Life among Caregivers of Psychiatric Patients: Educational Qualification and Gender Differences

Abstract

Families of psychiatric patients experience challenges to maintain personal well-being. The present study aimed to compare the quality of life among caregivers of psychiatric patients against the general public. A cross-sectional study was carried out on sub-samples of caregivers (n = 123) and the general public (n = 146) belonging to middle socioeconomic status in districts Haripur and Abbottabad. Participants responded to the Urdu version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BRIEF). They also provided information about gender (men = 48%, women = 52%), age (18-40 years), marital status, and educational level. The findings of the Mann-Whitney U test showed caregivers had a poor quality of life in physical, psychological, social relations, and environmental health domains. The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences in the quality of life of participants across six levels of education, and caregivers with graduate degrees had a better quality of life than those with elementary, middle, or matric certifications. However, gender differences were absent, as hypothesized. Findings highlight the significance of the personal well-being of caregivers by providing them with counseling and psychoeducation to cope with the caregiving stressors.