Care Giver Burden and Mental Health in Schizophrenia

Deinstitutionalization of psychiatric patients is a problem for their families and lead to burden and psychiatric disorders in caregivers. This study conducted in 117 schizophrenic patie-nts and their families to assess relationship betweencaregivers burden and patients’ psychopathology (posit-ive and negative symptoms), patients’ living skills, family knowledge and demographic factors. The instruments were General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), Family Experience Inter-view Schedule (FEIS), Allen’s cogni-tive level test and Positive and Nega-tive Symptoms Scale (PANSS). There was a significant relation bet-ween patients’ psychopathology and living skills with caregivers’ burden but no significant effect for family knowledge and duration of disorder. Results suggest that living skills and having rehabilitation resources are us-eful for families and patients.