BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia experience increased levels of psychological distress. This study investigated the impact of caring for patients with chronic schizophrenia on the mental health status of the caregivers and described the relationship between various socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and caregiving psychological distress. METHODS: The study was carried out at the Psychiatric Hospital of Athens. The Symptom Check List Revised (SCL-90-R) was administered to 87 caregivers of chronic schizophrenia patients and 90 healthy controls. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was administered to schizophrenia patients in order to assess illness severity. RESULTS: The group of caregivers scored higher on the majority of symptom dimensions of the SCL-90-R than the control group. Clinical features of schizophrenia, i.e. duration of illness and PANSS positive and negative symptoms significantly predicted caregiving psychological distress. Caregivers' and patients' socio-demographic characteristics were not associated with caregivers' distress, with the exception of caregivers' sex: female caregivers experienced significantly higher levels of psychological distress than males. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that clinical features of schizophrenia influence distress levels in caregivers of patients with chronic schizophrenia. The stronger predictors of distress appear to be female caregiver's gender, duration of illness as well as positive and negative symptomatology.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia experience increased levels of psychological distress. This study investigated the impact of caring for patients with chronic schizophrenia on the mental health status of the caregivers and described the relationship between various socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and caregiving psychological distress. METHODS: The study was carried out at the Psychiatric Hospital of Athens. The Symptom Check List Revised (SCL-90-R) was administered to 87 caregivers of chronic schizophreniapatients and 90 healthy controls. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was administered to schizophreniapatients in order to assess illness severity. RESULTS: The group of caregivers scored higher on the majority of symptom dimensions of the SCL-90-R than the control group. Clinical features of schizophrenia, i.e. duration of illness and PANSS positive and negative symptoms significantly predicted caregiving psychological distress. Caregivers' and patients' socio-demographic characteristics were not associated with caregivers' distress, with the exception of caregivers' sex: female caregivers experienced significantly higher levels of psychological distress than males. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that clinical features of schizophrenia influence distress levels in caregivers of patients with chronic schizophrenia. The stronger predictors of distress appear to be female caregiver's gender, duration of illness as well as positive and negative symptomatology.
Authors: B Boye; H Bentsen; I Ulstein; T H Notland; A Lersbryggen; O Lingjaerde; U F Malt Journal: Acta Psychiatr Scand Date: 2001-07 Impact factor: 6.392
Authors: L Magliano; G Fadden; M Madianos; J M de Almeida; T Held; M Guarneri; C Marasco; P Tosini; M Maj Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 1998-09 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: L Magliano; G Fadden; M Economou; T Held; M Xavier; M Guarneri; C Malangone; C Marasco; M Maj Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2000-03 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: Manuel Gonçalves-Pereira; Miguel Xavier; Bob van Wijngaarden; Ana L Papoila; Aart H Schene; José Miguel Caldas-de-Almeida Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2012-05-31 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: Antoine Messiah; Jérôme Lacoste; Erick Gokalsing; James M Shultz; Pura Rodríguez de la Vega; Grettel Castro; Juan M Acuna Journal: South Med J Date: 2016-08 Impact factor: 0.954
Authors: Alejandra Caqueo-Urízar; Mar Rus-Calafell; Thomas K J Craig; Matias Irarrazaval; Alfonso Urzúa; Laurent Boyer; David R Williams Journal: Curr Psychiatry Rep Date: 2017-01 Impact factor: 5.285
Authors: Katerina Koutra; Sofia Triliva; Theano Roumeliotaki; Maria Basta; Christos Lionis; Alexandros N Vgontzas Journal: Community Ment Health J Date: 2015-08-19
Authors: Bianca T Villalobos; Jodie Ullman; Tracy Wang Krick; Darcy Alcántara; Alex Kopelowicz; Steven R López Journal: Br J Clin Psychol Date: 2017-05-02