1Associate Professor, College of Nursing, Ananthapuri Hospitals and Research Institute, Chackai, Trivandrum
2Director, Little Lourde Hospital, Kottayam
Online published on 14 August, 2013.
the purpose of this study was to investigate burden experienced by caregivers of schizophrenia.
Qualitative assessments were done by focus group discussions (FGDs) with 20 family caregivers of patients diagnosed as Schizophrenia. 2 focus groups were held involving 10 caregivers. Data was analysed using thematic and content analysis.
the areas of burden identified are family functioning, financial problems, social isolation, emotional burden, caregivers health, and refusal of medicines.
It is also realized that the need of education, advice, information, counseling, motivation are essential for most of the care givers especially of mentally ill clients having higher level of intensity of burden. Additional work is needed to develop empirically based strategies for helping these caregivers.
Burden, Schizophrenia
