The psychological well-being of family members of individuals with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to attempt to understand the experience of family members of individuals with schizophrenia. More specifically, we wanted to determine whether a measure of caregiving would be a stronger predictor of the psychological well-being of families who have a member with schizophrenia than a measure of burden.

METHOD

Forty-one family members of 30 individuals with schizophrenia were recruited. A measure of burden, a measure of the experience of caregiving, and the duration of the illness were used to determine the best predictor of psychological wellbeing.

RESULTS

Regression analyses indicated that the strongest predictor of psychological well-being was the negative scale of the Experience of Caregiving Inventory (ECI). There was also a significant relationship between poor psychological well-being and short duration of illness.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the study indicated that family members are significantly distressed as a result of having a family member with schizophrenia. There is support for using newer scales, like the ECI. Furthermore, increased family support is required in the early stages of the illness.