Quality of life and correlated health status and social support of schizophrenic patients' caregivers

Abstract

Background: Quality of life (QOL) of caregivers is the new concept used for evaluating the caregivers' burden and well-being, and improving the caregiver interventions. Schizophrenia is considered as a chronic and severe mental disorder. It affects the lives of patients and the family members of caregivers who take care of them. The caregivers have to deal with patients' symptoms, and help patients in activities of daily living. Most studies showed low scores of QOL of schizophrenic patients' caregivers.

Objectives: To study the QOL of schizophrenic patients' caregivers in Bangkok Metropolis community and the correlation between QOL, and health status and social support of schizophrenic patients' caregivers

Material and method: One hundred and twenty schizophrenic patients' caregivers were recruited from three Public Health Centers of Health Department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, in November-December 2005. They completed three self-rated questionnaires; 1) Quality of Life Index Generic Version - III (QLI Generic Version - III), 2) Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36 Health Survey), and 3) Questionnaire for Assessment of Social Support. QOL of caregivers was analyzed by using mean, percentage, and standard deviation. The correlation between QOL, and health status and social support was analyzed by using Pearson's correlation.

Results: Eighty-eight people (73.33%) were female and thirty-two people (26.67%) were male. The mean age of the caregivers was 49.91 years, and the age range of the caregivers was 23-81 years. Most of them had primary school education (62 people, 51.67%), and had a marital status of couples (73 people, 60.83%). The results showed most of the schizophrenic patients' caregivers (80 people, 66.67%) had low moderate level of QOL. The caregivers' health status and social support were positively correlated to their QOL.

Conclusion: The present study showed schizophrenic patients' caregivers in the community had low moderate level of QOL. The health status and social support of caregivers were positively correlated to their QOL. Health promotion and increasing social support ofcaregivers may help to increase caregivers' QOL. Improving caregivers' QOL will increase the quality of care given and improve the success of treatment and rehabilitation of schizophrenic patients.