Burden and family functioning among caregivers of chronic Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic major psychotic disorder manifested by distorted thinking and poor emotional response. Families of patients with schizophrenia face many challenges such as care burden, fear and embarrassment about illness, signs and symptoms, uncertainty about course of the disease, lack of social support, and stigma.

1. Assess the perceived burden of caregivers of patients having chronic schizophrenia. 2. Assess family functioning of caregivers of patients having chronic schizophrenia.3. determine the relationship between burden and family functioning.

A descriptive design and consecutive sampling was adopted for the study. The population under study was caregivers of patients having chronic schizophrenia in Thiruvananthapuram district. One hundred and seventy seven (177) constituted study sample. Burden assessment schedule and family functioning scale was used to assess burden and family functioning. data was collected by self report.

Healthy families perceived significantly (t₁₇₅=3.4, p<0.01) more burden compared to unhealthy families. Burden subscales of family relations, physical and mental health were significantly high in healthy families.

This study demonstrated that the perception of burden is different for healthy and unhealthy families. Family intervention can be included as a treatment modality for patients with Schizophrenia.