Psychosocial dimensions of family burden among two groups of carers looking after psychiatric patients

In this study we examined the relationship between level of family burden and extent of psychological distress among family members of 52 psychiatric patients. Our sample consisted of 31 chronic and 21 subchronic patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The paper focused on the influence of psych...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 1997-02, Vol.32 (2), p.104-108
Main Authors: BIBOU-NAKOU, I, DIKAIOU, M, BAIRACTARIS, C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acute Disease
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Caregivers - psychology
Chronic Disease
Coping
Cost of Illness
Families & family life
Family - psychology
Family environment. Family history
Female
Humans
Illnesses
Internal-External Control
Likert scale
Male
Medical sciences
Mental health
Middle Aged
Models, Psychological
Patients
Perceptions
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Questionnaires
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia - nursing
Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry
Stress
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:In this study we examined the relationship between level of family burden and extent of psychological distress among family members of 52 psychiatric patients. Our sample consisted of 31 chronic and 21 subchronic patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The paper focused on the influence of psychosocial factors, such as the sense of personal control and coping strategies upon the extent and the perception of burden. The carers of chronic patients more frequently used a passive way of coping with everyday problems. Passivity and variability on behalf of the carers were significantly correlated with areas of objective burden. Consistent with a stress-process model, we found that the factor of mastery correlated significantly with family burden and distress scores. The findings of the study are discussed in the context of community family interventions.
ISSN:0933-7954
1433-9285
DOI:10.1007/BF00788928