فشار رواني مراقبان بيماران مزمن رواني و نياز آنان به خدمات مراقبتي و درماني

The burden of caregivers of chronic mental patients and their needs to care and therapeutic services

The involvement offamilies in the care of chronic and serious mental patients is one of the principles of every mental health program. In this regard, assessment of the burden and needs of these families to different care services is of special importance. Twelve hundred of main caregivers of the patients (schizophrenia, bipolar mood disorder, major depressive disorder) from 6 psychiatric centers in Tehran were enrolled to the study. The instruments were FBIS (family burden interview schedule), MRSS (morningside rehabilitation status scale), and "the caregivers needs to care and therapeutic services" questionnaire. Chi square, regression and pearson correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. The results showed that short-term hospitalisation, rehabilitation and follow up services are rated among the primary needs of the caregivers while institutionalisation of the patients was the last. The burden of the caregivers of schizophrenic patients was higher than the two others (p<0.05). Disruption offamily leisure and using up another person ʹs holiday, disruptive family interaction and suffering from patientʹs illness (as a subjective burden) were the most prevalent causes of the burden in the family. The negative and positive symptoms were correlated with the severity of the burden and needs of caregivers (p< 0/05). Family is an important and reliable source to care of chronic and serious mental patients. In programming the national mental health policies, priority must be given to the needs of caregivers and to development of rehabilitation, education and short-term hospitalisation services.