Society for Family Health, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria.
Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.
PLoS One. 2021 May 6;16(5):e0250309. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250309. eCollection 2021.
The wellbeing of family caregivers of mentally ill persons has often been ignored, despite that family caregivers can be predisposed to psychiatric morbidities and burden in caring for their mentally ill family members. This study examined the levels of psychological distress and burden of care experienced by family caregivers who care for their mentally ill relatives in Edo State, Nigeria.
This study assessed psychological distress using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Burden of care was measured using the 22-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) questionnaire. Multiple linear regression was done to determine factors associated with burden of care and psychological distress, while factor analysis was used to determine the underlying forms of burden of care and psychological distress among participants.
Caregivers studied were relatives of patients diagnosed for depression (25.1%), substance use disorder (22.2%), schizophrenia (20.2%) and bipolar affective disorder (11.1%). Approximately 15% experienced no-to-mild burden, 51.3% mild-to-moderate burden and 34.0% high-or-severe burden. Nearly halve (49.0%) of participants experienced psychological distress. Severe rate of psychological distress was observed among subjects caring for patients with schizophrenia (60.7%), epilepsy (60.0%), substance use disorder (52.2%) and depression (49.0%). High burden of care was more preponderant among caregivers of relatives with mental retardation and epilepsy (50% each) and schizophrenia (39.3%). Having a higher educational qualification and being self-employed was a predictor of psychological distress. Gender of caregiver and the diagnosis schizophrenia among relatives of caregivers predisposed to burden of care. Three factors including social and emotional dysfunction, psychological distress and cognitive dysfunction were identified as components of psychological health through factor analysis. On the burden scale, six factor components were identified as: personal strain, role strain, intolerance, patients' dependence, guilt and interference in personal life.
There is a high prevalence of psychological morbidity and burden of care among family caregivers providing care for persons with mental illness.
尽管家庭照顾者在照顾精神病患者时可能容易出现精神障碍和负担，但他们的幸福感经常被忽视。本研究调查了在尼日利亚江户州照顾精神病患者的家庭照顾者的心理困扰和照顾负担水平。
本研究使用一般健康问卷（GHQ-12）评估心理困扰。使用 22 项 Zarit 负担访谈（ZBI）问卷测量照顾负担。进行多元线性回归以确定与照顾负担和心理困扰相关的因素，同时使用因子分析确定参与者中照顾负担和心理困扰的潜在形式。
研究中的照顾者是被诊断为抑郁症（25.1%）、物质使用障碍（22.2%）、精神分裂症（20.2%）和双相情感障碍（11.1%）的患者的亲属。大约 15%的人经历了无到轻度负担，51.3%的人经历了轻度到中度负担，34.0%的人经历了高或重度负担。近一半（49.0%）的参与者经历了心理困扰。在照顾精神分裂症（60.7%）、癫痫（60.0%）、物质使用障碍（52.2%）和抑郁症（49.0%）患者的受试者中观察到严重的心理困扰发生率。在照顾智障和癫痫（各占 50%）和精神分裂症（占 39.3%）患者的亲属的照顾者中，负担较重的情况更为突出。较高的教育程度和自雇是心理困扰的预测因素。照顾者的性别和亲属被诊断为精神分裂症易导致照顾负担。通过因子分析，确定了三个因素，包括社会和情感功能障碍、心理困扰和认知功能障碍，作为心理健康的组成部分。在负担量表上，确定了六个因素成分：个人紧张、角色紧张、不容忍、患者依赖、内疚和个人生活干扰。
在为精神病患者提供护理的家庭照顾者中，心理疾病和照顾负担的患病率很高。
