Citation

Tabeleão VP, Tomasi E, Quevedo LA. Arch. Clin. Psychiatry (São Paulo) 2014; 41(3): 63-66.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP)

DOI

10.1590/0101-60830000000012

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that overburden with care of psychotic patients is associated with a significant reduction of quality of life and causes harm to the caregiver's health.

OBJECTIVE: In order to compare factors associated with levels of burden of caregivers with the psychopathology of the patient, we conducted a cross-sectional study with 435 primary caregivers of patients of Centers for Psychosocial Care (CAPS) from Pelotas, RS.

METHODS: Te patients were identified through medical records and their caregivers were interviewed in their homes. To evaluate the burden we used Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI).

RESULTS: Caregivers of dependent users of alcohol and drugs had the highest average of burden, 52.2 points (sd = 20.4), followed by the caregivers of patients with suicide risk, 48.5 points (sd = 0.7). In adjusted analysis, women had 8.2 (95% CI: 4.6, 11.8) points higher on average than men in ZBI scale. Caregivers with less education had 1.6 (95% CI: -3.1, -1.0) points lower on average of burden compared to those with higher educational level. Caregivers with some health problem had 6.7 (95% CI: 3.3, 10.0) points higher in the middle of the ZBI when compared to those without disease.

DISCUSSION: Several factors overload clearly indicate the need to develop interventions such as psychoeducation which may give some support to the family responsible for care.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; gender; suicide; female; male; alcoholism; quality of life; education; interview; abuse; psychoeducation; caregiver burden; article; major clinical study; mental disease; distress syndrome; medical record; middle aged; psychosocial care; cross-sectional study; relative; named inventories, questionnaires and rating scales; Burden; Likert scale; Caregivers of psychiatric patients; Zarit burden interview