Factors Influencing Burden on the Primary Caregivers of Remitted Schizophrenic Outpatients.
10.16946/kjsr.2017.20.2.44
- Author:
Jin Won KIM
1
;
Chul Kwon KIM
Author Information
1. Han-Sarang Hospital, Kimhae, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Family burden;
Family attitude;
Social functioning;
Social support;
Insight;
Schizophrenia
- MeSH:
Age of Onset;
Ambulatory Care Facilities;
Caregivers*;
Education;
Employment;
Humans;
Marital Status;
Outpatients*;
Parents;
Schizophrenia
- From:Korean Journal of Schizophrenia Research
2017;20(2):44-54
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to investigate the variables besides symptom that influence the family burden in the primary caregivers of remitted schizophrenic outpatients, and to evaluate the impact of changeable or unchangeable variables by clinical practice on the family burden. METHODS: A total 105 remitted schizophrenic outpatients and 105 their primary caregivers were participated in the psychiatric outpatient clinic of the university hospital. Socio-demographic characteristics (age, sex, education, income, marital status, religion), clinical variables (duration of illness, age of onset), patients' symptom (korean version of the positive and negative syndrome scale), patients' social function (korean version of the social functioning scale), patients' insight (self-appraisal of illness questionnaire), patients' attitude toward medication (drug attitude inventory), family perceived social support (multidimensional scale of perceived social support), family attitude toward patient (family attitude scale) were gathered from subjects. RESULTS: Total score of family burden scale (0–144) of the primary caregivers of remitted schizophrenic outpatients was 71.3 (SD 20.7) and mean score per item was 1.9. Unchangeable six variables by clinical practice (relation with patient, patients' education, age of onset, duration of illness, parent age, parent income) explain 17%, and changeable four variables (family attitude toward patient, family perceived social support, patients' social function, patients' insight) explain 72% of family burden. Four areas such as interpersonal communication, independence-performance, independence-competence, occupation/ employment explain family burden significantly in the seven areas of the social functioning scale. CONCLUSION: Primary caregivers of remitted schizophrenic outpatients feel burden considerably even though their ill relatives show few psychiatric symptoms. Changeable variables by clinical practice were more explanation than unchangeable variables on the family burden.
