BURDEN ON CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder that significantly impacts not only patients but also their caregivers. The burden experienced by family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia represents a critical public health concern requiring comprehensive evaluation.

Objective: To determine the frequency of burden on caregivers of patients with schizophrenia presenting to a tertiary care hospital and identify associated factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Psychiatry, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, over a six-month period. Using non-probability consecutive sampling, 252 primary caregivers of schizophrenia patients were enrolled. The Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI) was used to assess caregiver burden, with scores greater than 21 indicating the presence of burden. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25.

Results: The mean age of caregivers was 42.8±12.4 years, with 68.3% being female. Caregiver burden was present in 89 participants (35.3%). The mean ZBI score was 28.6±15.2. Significant associations were found between caregiver burden and female gender (p = 0.003), lower education levels (p = 0.001), unemployment (p = 0.004), lower socioeconomic status (p < 0.001), longer disease duration (p = 0.002), and the severity of the patient'spatient's functional impairment (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: More than one-third of caregivers experienced a significant burden. Female caregivers, those with lower socioeconomic status, and caregivers of patients with longer disease duration showed higher burden rates. These findings emphasize the need for targeted support interventions for high-risk caregiver groups.