Psychological Burden and Quality of Life of Caregivers of Patients with Schizophrenia at Pantang and Accra Psychiatric Hospitals

BackgroundFamily caregivers of patients with chronic illnesses face significant mental, physical, and financial burdens because of caregiving. This burden is worse in caregivers of patients with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia. The present study assessed the psychological burden and quality of life of caregivers of schizophrenic patients in selected mental health facilities in Accra, Ghana. MethodThis was an observational cross-sectional study conducted among 201 caregivers of patients with schizophrenia attending the psychiatric outpatient departments at Pantang and Accra Psychiatric Hospitals. Structured questionnaires: the Zarit Burden Interview and the Depression, Stress, and Anxiety Scale-21 items (DASS-21), the WHO-QOL BREF instrument and the 12-item proxy administered WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHO-DAS 2.0) were used to collect data from the study respondents. FindingsThe study revealed that 37% of caregivers reported a high burden (ZBI score >16). The mean ZBI score was 14.3 (SD=8.7) on a scale of 0 to 48. The QOL scores for each domain were measured on a scale from 0 to 100: physical domain - 68.0 (SD=16.5), psychological domain - 64.5 (SD=17.2), social domain - 51.8 (SD=21.3), and environmental domain - 57.9 (SD=14.6), with higher scores corresponding to higher quality of life. Also, female caregivers, caregivers of unemployed patients, caregivers of patients who use substances, and caregivers with higher stress levels experienced higher levels of caregiver burden. In addition, the quality of life was higher for caregivers of employed patients and caregivers who had family support. Finally, lower perceived levels of patient functioning were found to be associated with higher levels of caregiver burden and a lower quality of life of the caregiver. ConclusionThe findings show that caregivers of patients with schizophrenia have a relatively high burden and average quality of life. Family support and job opportunities for patients with schizophrenia can help remedy these.