Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the causal attributions, difficulties, perceived and expected help behaviour of health care professionals, and hope for the future well-being of the caregivers of Turkish schizophrenic patients in order to form guidelines for forming a collaboration with the families of schizophrenic patients. Sixty caregivers were interviewed by using a semi-structured interview schedule. The responses of the literature in this area. The caregivers guidelines of the literature in this area. The caregivers attributed schizophrenia mainly to psychosocial causes, namely stressful events (50%), family coflicts (40%) and patients' characteristics (28%). The most frequently reported difficulties were family conflicts and disruptions of family life (57%), subjective burden (48%) and financial costs due to the patient (27%). The number of difficulties reported by caregivers was related to the duration of the patient's illness. Caregivers perceived pharmacological treatment (42%), interest and support given to the caregiver (28%), and the hospitalization of the patient (20%) as helpful. Their expectations of help were in similar areas. About half of the caregivers were optimistic about the future wellbeing of their relatives. Optimistic and pessimistic caregivers differed in the educational level of the caregiver and the duration of the patient's illness. The results suggested that the families of schizophrenics need the support of professionals and the establishment of networks focusing on the caregivers and their relationships with their ill relatives and with health care institutions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aksit BT, Aksit B (1995) Community participation in primary health care: an anthropological action research in a squatter-housing district of Antalya. Final Report (RS-6/U). UNICEF, Ankara
Bernheim KF (1989) Psychologists and families of the severely mentally ill: the role of family consultation. Am Psychol 44: 561–564
Brewin CR, MacCarthy B, Duda K, Vaughn CE (1991) Attribution and expressed emotion in the relatives of patients with schizophrenia. J Abnorm Psychol 100: 1–9
Cohen J (1960) A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educ Psychol 20: 37–46
Coskun B (1987) Mental health services in Turkey: problems and possible solutions (in Turkish). Toplum Hekim 44: 11–15
Devlet Planlama Teskilati (DPT) (State Planning Organization) (1989) Sixth five year development plan (in Turkish). (DPT publication no. 2174). Turkish Government Printing Office, Ankara
Furnham A, Bower P (1992) A comparison of academic and lay theories of schizophrenia. Br J Psychiatry 161: 201–210
Furnham A, Rees J (1988) Lay theories of schizophrenia. Int J Soc Psychiatry 34: 212–220
Hancioglu A (1993) Turkish Demographic and Health Survey. Ministry of Health, Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies, and Macro international Inc, Ankara, pp 1–10
Harrison AC, Dadds MR (1992) Attributions of symptomatology: an exploration of family factors associated with expressed emotion. Aust N Z J psychiatry 26: 408–416
Hathfield AB (1987) Families as caregivers: a historical perspective. In: Hathfield AB, Lefley HP (eds) Families of the mentally ill: coping and adaptation. Guilford Press, New York pp 3–29
Hoenig J, Hamilton MW (1966) The schizophrenic patient in the community and his effect on the household. Int J Soc Psychiatry 12: 165–175
Hortacsu N (1989) Turkish students' self concepts and reflected appraisals of significant others. Int J Psychol 24: 451–463
Jenkins JH, Karno M (1992) The meaning of expressed emotion: theoretical issues raised by cross-cultural research. Am J Psychiatry 149: 9–21
Kagitcibasi C (1985) Intra-family interaction and a model of change. In: Erder T (ed) Family in Turkish society. Turkish Social Science Association, Ankara, pp 149–165
Kagitcibasi C, Sunar D, Bekman S (1988) Comprehensive Preschool Education Project: final report. Manuscript Report 209e. IDRC, Canada
Karanci NA (1993) Causal attribution for illness among Turkish psychiatric out-patients and differences between diagnostic groups. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 28: 292–295
Kilic C, Rezaki M, Üstün B (1992) Pathways in reachng mental health services in Ankara (in Turkish). Türk Psikiyatri Dergisi 3: 190–204
Kuipers L (1992) Expressed emotion in 1991. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 27: 1–3
Lefley PH (1989) Family burden and family stigma in major mental illness. Am Psychol 44: 556–560
MacCarthy B, Lesage A, Brewin CR, Brugha TS et al (1989) Needs for care among the relatives of long-term users of day care. A report from the Camberwell high contact survey. Psychol Med 19: 725–736
McElroy M (1987) The beat of a different drummer. In: Hathfield AB, Lefley PH (eds) Families of the mentally ill: coping and adaptation. Guildford Press, New York, pp 225–243
Medvene LJ Krauss DH (1989) Causal attributions and parent-child relationships in a self-help group for families of the mentally ill. J Appl Soc Psychol. 19: 1413–1430
Nie NH, Hull CE, Jenkins JG, Steinberenner K Bent DH (1975) Statistical package for the social sciences. McGraw Hill, New York
Özcan YZ (1983) The educational status attainment process: male urban population, 1968. J Hum Sci 2: 59–78
Öztürk O (1987) An evaluation of the mental health problems in Turkey (in Turkish). Toplum Hekim 44: 5–10
Smith J, Birchwood M (1990) Relatives and patients as partners in the management of schizophrenia. Br J Psychiatry 156: 654–660
Spaniol L, Jung H, Zipple AM, Fitzgerald S (1987) Families as a resource in the rehabilitation of the severely psychiatrically disabled. In: Hathfield AB, Lefley PH (eds) Families of the Mentally ill: coping and adaptation. Guildford Press, New York, pp 167–190
State Institute of Statistics (SIS) (1992) Statistical yearbook of Turkey, 1991 (in Turkish). SIS, Ankara.
Sue S, Zane N (1987) The role of culture and cultural techniques in psychotherapy: a critique and reformulation. Am Psychol 42: 37–45
Tan D (1992) An overview of mental health services of the Ministry of Health (in Turkish). Türk Psikiyatri Dergisi 3: 279–280
Vaughn CE, Snyder KS, Jones S, Falloon IRH (1984) Family factors in schizophrenic relapse. Arch Gen Psychiatry 41: 1169–1177
Zipple AM, Spaniol L (1987) Current educational and supportive models of family intervention. In: Hathfield AB, Lefley PH (eds) Families of the mentally ill: coping and adaptation. Guildford Press, New York, pp 261–277
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Karanci, A.N. Caregivers of Turkish schizophrenic patients: causal attributions, burdens and attitudes to help from the health professionals. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 30, 261–268 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00805792
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00805792