Caregivers in schizophrenia: A Cross Cultural Perspective

Abstract

Background:Schizophrenia not only influences the lives of those affected but also those around them, especially the caregivers. This study examines the different determinants that are likely to contribute to the caregivers’ perception of burden of care across different countries namely Malaysia and India, using the burden assessment schedule.Aim:The goals for this study were, to study the psychosocial and demographic aspects of patients suffering from schizophrenia, to study the levels of perceived burden of the Malaysian and Indian families caring for a relative with schizophrenia, and to study the determinants that contributes to the caregivers’ perception of burden of care.Materials and Methods:The study was conducted in private hospitals, both in Malaysia as well as Mangalore after obtaining the necessary approval. 50 schizophrenia patients and their caregivers in Malaysia and India were chosen using the purposive sampling technique. The inclusion criteria were a minimum of 5 years since diagnosis of schizophrenia.Results:Although the Indian caregivers perceived difficulties in several areas such as finance, family relationship, well-being and health, they still perceived burden to be lesser compared to Malaysian counterpart.Conclusion:Intensified community based care can reduce burden.

Psychological distress, perceived burden and quality of life in caregivers of persons with schizophrenia

“…The finding of high perceived burden in caregivers of persons with schizophrenia in this study is in agreement with several studies from India (Ampalam et al, 2012;Ganguly et al, 2010;Kate et al, 2013;Mandal et al, 2014) and also those from the West (Lowyck et al, 2004;Roick et al, 2006;Wolthaus et al, 2002). Disruption in family life and in family interaction, financial burden and adverse consequences in terms of well-being and health are some consequences of caregiving burden reported by earlier studies from India (Chakrabarti et al, 1995;Talwar & Matheiken, 2010;Thara et al, 1998). Patient characteristics (such as age, gender, symptomatology and duration of illness) did not influence the burden of caregivers in this study.…”

Predictors of depressive symptoms and physical health in caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia

“…We found that almost 20% of caregivers had symptoms indicative of a depressive episode, which is lower than reported in other studies, likely reflecting differences in measurement and cut-offs, specific population, cultural sensitivity, and public perception (Magliano et al, 2002;Wongchai, 2003, unpubl. data;Ghosh & Greenberg, 2009;Talwar & Matheiken, 2010). The five variables predicting depressive symptoms accounted for 41% of the variance observed in the depression data.…”

“…data). The rates of significant depressive symptoms in caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia vary across countries, with reported rates of 34% in the United States (Ghosh & Greenberg, 2009), 40% in Malaysia, 66% in India (Talwar & Matheiken, 2010), 83% in Italy (Magliano et al, 2002), and 78% in Thailand (Wongchai, 2003, unpubl. data).…”

Global Social Functioning ofPatients with Schizophrenia and Care Burden of Caregiving Relatives

“…Bu bulgu, çalışmamızın bulgularını desteklemektedir. Ancak Talwar ve Matheiken [30] (2010), hastalık süresi uzadıkça bakım veren yükünün arttığını bildirmiştir. Ayrıca bakım veren yükünün hastalık süresine göre farklılık göstermediğini bildiren çalışmalar mevcuttur.…”