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Anxiety and depression in natural caregivers of patients with schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

F. Znaidi ,
S. Ellouze  and
R. Ghachem
F. Znaidi*
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry, Razi Hospital of Manouba, Manouba
S. Ellouze
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
R. Ghachem
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry, Razi Hospital of Manouba, Manouba
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Natural caregivers of patients with schizophrenia constitute a main source of care as they have to shoulder a multitude of caregiving responsibilities and are then confronted with considerable difficulties while providing care. As a result, natural caregivers, often described as “the hidden patients” usually suffer from psychological consequences such as anxiety and depression.

Objectives

This study aimed to asses anxiety and depression among natural caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and to identify risk factors for developing such disorders.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study, including 80 natural caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. We used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to evaluate anxiety and depression.

Results

The typical caregiver profile was consistent with a 55-year old married illiterate first degree relative (mostly parents or spouses) with a low socio-economic level.

The mean anxiety score was 10.6± 5,1 and the mean depression score was 11.6± 6.2. Depression and anxiety were diagnosed in 66% of caregivers.

Anxiety and depression scores were significantly higher among female illiterate unemployed caregivers, those with organic history and among parents and correlated with the caregiving duration.

Anxiety scores were higher when patients in charge had poor therapeutic adherence and aggressive behavior and correlated with the age of caregivers and the number of other sick persons in charge.

Caregivers reported higher levels of depression when patients in charge were not married, unemployed and had a history of suicide attempts.

Anxiety score were significantly correlated with depression scores.

Conclusions

Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia, although thought to be a privileged source of emotional and social support, are hardly taken into account following the deinstitutionalization movement.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 66 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 31st European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2023 , pp. S1055 - S1056
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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