Department of Clinical Services, Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2012 Mar;58(2):131-7. doi: 10.1177/0020764010387544. Epub 2010 Nov 18.
Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder which places immense burden on family members. There are few studies that have explored the enormity of burden experienced by caregivers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Two hundred caregivers who were relatives of 200 consecutive outpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and undergoing treatment at the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin, between August and November 2008, were studied. The degree of burden experienced by the caregivers was assessed using the Burden Questionnaire (BQ). The patients' symptomatology was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).
Mean financial burden score was significantly greater than the mean scores for burden of disruption of family routine and interaction, social stigma and subjective distress. Caregivers of unemployed patients had significantly higher mean burden scores compared to those of employed patients. Level of burden showed significant associations with caregivers' educational level, age of patient, employment status of patients and global rating of difficulty in coping with caregiving.
Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia experience immense burden. Public health education as well as targeted interventions in the area of employment, financial and other support for persons with mental disorders would help to ameliorate this burden.
精神分裂症是一种严重的精神疾病，给家庭成员带来了巨大的负担。在撒哈拉以南非洲地区，很少有研究探讨照顾者所经历的负担程度。
2008 年 8 月至 11 月，在贝宁乌塞卢联邦精神病院，对 200 名连续就诊的精神分裂症门诊患者的 200 名亲属（即照顾者）进行了研究。使用负担问卷（BQ）评估照顾者的负担程度。使用阳性和阴性症状量表（PANSS）评估患者的症状。
平均经济负担得分明显高于家庭常规和互动中断、社会耻辱和主观痛苦负担的平均得分。与有工作的患者相比，失业患者的照顾者负担得分显著更高。负担水平与照顾者的教育水平、患者年龄、患者的就业状况以及应对护理困难的总体评分显著相关。
精神分裂症患者的照顾者承受着巨大的负担。公共卫生教育以及针对就业、经济和其他支持精神障碍患者的干预措施，将有助于减轻这种负担。
