International Journal of Nursing Education

Schizophrenia is chronic mental illness and patient suffering from this illness do need care when they are discharged from the hospital. For providing care at home family members plays a very vital role. Family members should be equipped with knowledge and should have positive attitude to provide effective care to the person suffering from schizophrenia.

The objective of this study was to determine knowledge and attitude of caregivers regarding homecare of family member with Schizophrenia.

Hundred caregivers were selected for the study using convenient sampling method who came to the Psychiatric OPD of Himalayan Hospital, Dehradun for follow up of their family member with Schizophrenia. Caregivers were assessed using structured knowledge questionnaire and structured attitude scale.

Study revealed that approximately half (56%) of caregivers had average knowledge, mean and SD of knowledge score was 12.43±4.24. Caregivers had highest (69%) knowledge regarding self care of caregivers, followed by medication administration at home (66.71%) and least (34.33%) knowledge regarding illness. Mean attitude score was 42.4±3.28. It was also found that there was statistically significant correlation between monthly income, residence, age, educational status, relationship with patient and knowledge score at significant level of 0.05.

Findings of the study revealed that caregivers had average knowledge regarding homecare of family member with Schizophrenia which points out the need of intervention programme to increase knowledge of caregivers.