Yu Yu, Zhou Wei, Liu Zi-Wei, Hu Mi, Tan Zhi-Hui, Xiao Shui-Yuan
Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China,
Hospital Administration Institute, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China.
Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2018 Dec 20;12:7-13. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S187975. eCollection 2019.
The present study aimed to investigate differences in family burden and caregiver distress in a population of caregivers for schizophrenia, by separating patient gender and caregiver gender.
A sample of 327 primary family caregivers was recruited from a Chinese rural community through a one-stage cluster-sampling method. A cross-sectional design was employed, using validated measures to assess both family burden and primary caregivers' depression and anxiety.
Significant differences by gender were detected in family burden and caregiver distress. Family burden was significantly higher for male patients on the domains of effect on physical and mental health of others, and significantly higher for female caregivers on the domains of financial burden and effect on physical and mental health of others. Caregivers of male patients were more likely to suffer from anxiety than caregivers of female patients (52.7% vs 38.1%, =0.012); female caregivers were more likely to suffer from depression (51.2% vs 38.6%, = 0.031) and anxiety (51.6% vs 38.1%, =0.020) than male caregivers.
The results reinforced the expected differences in caregiving experiences of a schizophrenia population by gender, which has implications for the future design of gender-specific interventions to alleviate family burden and caregiver distress.
本研究旨在通过区分患者性别和照料者性别，调查精神分裂症患者照料者群体中家庭负担和照料者痛苦程度的差异。
通过单阶段整群抽样方法，从中国农村社区招募了327名主要家庭照料者作为样本。采用横断面设计，使用经过验证的测量方法评估家庭负担以及主要照料者的抑郁和焦虑情况。
在家庭负担和照料者痛苦程度方面检测到了显著的性别差异。在对他人身心健康的影响方面，男性患者的家庭负担显著更高；在经济负担和对他人身心健康的影响方面，女性照料者的家庭负担显著更高。男性患者的照料者比女性患者的照料者更易患焦虑症（52.7%对38.1%，P = 0.012）；女性照料者比男性照料者更易患抑郁症（51.2%对38.6%，P = 0.031）和焦虑症（51.6%对38.1%，P = 0.020）。
研究结果进一步证实了精神分裂症患者照料经历在性别上的预期差异，这对未来设计针对性别的干预措施以减轻家庭负担和照料者痛苦具有启示意义。
