RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOUR OF SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS AND BURDEN EXPERIENCED BY PRIMARY CAREGIVERS

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Date
2001-05
Authors
ZAHIRUDDIN, OTHMAN
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Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
The recent trend towards community psychiatry appears to have shifted much of the burden of care of the chronically mentally ill from the institutions to the family. The aim of this study is to assess I the relationship between psychopathology and problem behaviour of the forty five schizophrenic patients and burden imposed on their primary caregivers. Patients' psychopathology and problem behaviour were assessed using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Social Behaviour Schedule (SBS) respectively. Caregivers' amount of burden was assessed using Burden on Family Interview Schedule (BFS). Majority of the patients were unemployed (71%), single (,64%), male (68%) suffering from chronic schizophrenia (82%). The caregivers were mostly married (76%), female (62%), parents (73%) and from lower socioeconomic status (36% had monthly household income less than MYR 500). The prevalence of burden was ix extensive with forty percent reported severe subjective burden. The commonest severe objective burden was treatment expenses affecting one third of primary caregivers. Schizophrenic patients' PsycJ:lopathology (particularly delusion, hostility and hallucinatory behaviour) and problem behaviour (particularly hostility, overactivity and restlestness, and destructive behaviour) were found to be significantly correlated with the amount of burden experienced by primary caregivers. Grandiosity and stereotyped thinking were the, least burdensome symptom while panic attack and phobias were the least burdensome behaviour imposed on the caregivers.
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PSYCHIATRY
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