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Factors associated with caregiver psychological distress in chronic schizophrenia

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background and aims

Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia experience increased levels of psychological distress. This study investigated the impact of caring for patients with chronic schizophrenia on the mental health status of the caregivers and described the relationship between various socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and caregiving psychological distress.

Methods

The study was carried out at the Psychiatric Hospital of Athens. The Symptom Check List Revised (SCL-90-R) was administered to 87 caregivers of chronic schizophrenia patients and 90 healthy controls. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was administered to schizophrenia patients in order to assess illness severity.

Results

The group of caregivers scored higher on the majority of symptom dimensions of the SCL-90-R than the control group. Clinical features of schizophrenia, i.e. duration of illness and PANSS positive and negative symptoms significantly predicted caregiving psychological distress. Caregivers’ and patients’ socio-demographic characteristics were not associated with caregivers’ distress, with the exception of caregivers’ sex: female caregivers experienced significantly higher levels of psychological distress than males.

Conclusions

The study suggests that clinical features of schizophrenia influence distress levels in caregivers of patients with chronic schizophrenia. The stronger predictors of distress appear to be female caregiver’s gender, duration of illness as well as positive and negative symptomatology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatric Hospital of Athens “Dafni”, 7, Metamorfoseos str., Halandri, 152 34, Athens, Greece

    Charalampos Mitsonis

  2. 1st Department of Psychiatry, Athens University Medical School, Eginition Hospital, 72, Vas. Sofias Ave, 115 28, Athens, Greece

    Eleni Voussoura & Iannis Zervas

  3. Psychiatric Hospital “Dromokaiteio”, Ipsilandou 34, 151 22, Maroussi, Attiki, Greece

    Nikolaos Dimopoulos

  4. Psychiatric Hospital of Athens “Dafni”, Ipsilandou 34, 151 22, Maroussi, Attiki, Greece

    Vassiliki Psarra

  5. Department of Neurology, Athens University Medical School, Eginition Hospital, 72, Vas. Sofias Ave, 115 28, Athens, Greece

    Evangelia Kararizou

  6. Psychiatric Hospital of Athens “Dafni”, 374, Athinon Ave, 124 62, Haidari, Greece

    Eleni Latzouraki & Maria-Nefeli Katsanou

Authors
  1. Charalampos Mitsonis
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  2. Eleni Voussoura
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  3. Nikolaos Dimopoulos
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  4. Vassiliki Psarra
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  5. Evangelia Kararizou
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  6. Eleni Latzouraki
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  7. Iannis Zervas
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  8. Maria-Nefeli Katsanou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nikolaos Dimopoulos.

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Mitsonis, C., Voussoura, E., Dimopoulos, N. et al. Factors associated with caregiver psychological distress in chronic schizophrenia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 47, 331–337 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0325-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0325-9

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