A clinical study of family burden in chronic schizophrenia

Background: The primary caregivers in particular and the family as a whole have to bear the burden and responsibilities of providing the treatment of schizophrenia patients from its early stages up to the rehabilitation and assimilation of the patient with the society at large. Material and methods: The study was conducted in Silchar Medical College Hospital, Silchar, Assam, India and for a period of one year commencing from 2nd January 2007 with the aim to determine the sociodemographic patterns of chronic schizophrenia, and to ascertain the type and severity of family burden in chronic schizophrenia in the study population. Results: The frequencies of type and severity of family burdens in our study were as follows?disruption of routine family activity (65%), financial burden (62%), disruption of family recreation (54%), disruption of family interaction (32%), effect on physical health of others (21%) and effect on mental health of others (11%). Correlation coefficient between different types of burdens faced by the family are highly positive irrespective of age, sex, religion, locality, family pattern, marital status, education, occupation and socioeconomic status of the patients. Conclusion: As it comes out that not only financial but the effects on other familial activities are equally burdensome, so, the aim of the treating physicians must also be directed to the issues of burden of the disease too.