Zeng Yingchun, Zhou Ying, Lin Jiankui
Yingchun Zeng, MPhil, is Research Associate Professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, China.
Ying Zhou, PhD, is Professor at the School of Nursing, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2017 Jul;53(3):183-189. doi: 10.1111/ppc.12151. Epub 2016 Feb 23.
The aim of this study was to investigate perceived caregiver burden and quality of life (QOL) among Chinese family caregivers for people with serious mental illness (SMI).
This is a cross-sectional study design. Participants were recruited and independently interviewed using the Chinese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Form, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Social Support Rating Scale, and Family Burden Interview Schedule as outcome measures.
In this study, 363 family caregivers were recruited. This study found that caregivers in Guangzhou perceived significantly higher levels of burden than did family caregivers in Hong Kong (all p values <.001). Weekly hours of contact with patients; subjective support; and subdomains of physical, psychological, and environmental QOL were significant predictors of perceived overall caregiver burden. Education levels, depressive symptoms, objective support, and objective caregiver burden significantly predicted caregivers' QOL.
Study findings suggest there is a need for developing and implementing effective intervention strategies to reduce caregiver burden and improve caregivers' QOL. Health policy makers should provide relevant resources, such as financial assistance with care for family caregivers, as it is important that the health policy fully recognizes the role of family caregivers as a healthcare resource in caring for people with SMI.
本研究旨在调查中国严重精神疾病（SMI）患者家庭照顾者的照顾负担感知及生活质量（QOL）。
这是一项横断面研究设计。招募参与者并使用中文版世界卫生组织生活质量简表、医院焦虑抑郁量表、社会支持评定量表和家庭负担访谈问卷作为结果测量指标进行独立访谈。
本研究招募了363名家庭照顾者。研究发现，广州的照顾者感知到的负担水平显著高于香港的家庭照顾者（所有p值<.001）。每周与患者接触的时长、主观支持以及生活质量的身体、心理和环境子领域是总体照顾负担感知的显著预测因素。教育水平、抑郁症状、客观支持和客观照顾负担显著预测照顾者的生活质量。
研究结果表明，需要制定和实施有效的干预策略来减轻照顾者负担并改善照顾者的生活质量。卫生政策制定者应提供相关资源，如为家庭照顾者提供护理经济援助，因为卫生政策充分认识到家庭照顾者作为照顾严重精神疾病患者的医疗资源的作用非常重要。
