Caregivers’ Quality of Life: Comparative Analysis of Psychiatric ward and General Caregivers Quality of Life

Abstract

Mental illness affects at least one in four people, either directly or indirectly. Caregivers play a significant role in fulfilling the vital physical needs and psychological wellbeing of mentally ill patients. Caregiving for mentally ill persons causes a burden to the caregivers. This burden reflects in the physical and mental health of the caregiver. This study was designed to explore the Quality of Life (QOL) of caregivers of mentally ill inpatients. In this descriptive, comparative cross-sectional study, the quality of life of caregivers of the psychiatric ward and general wards was studied by inpatients settings using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) Scale. Caregivers of mentally ill patients have lower QOL levels, and it was observed that the WHOQOL-BREF score of the general ward was significantly higher than that of the psychiatric ward caregivers in all domains. This study would help manage, intervene, and identify the physical and mental health caregivers.