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Illness-related components for the family burden of relatives to patients with psychotic illness

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Abstract

Background

Previous research has shown that symptom severity often implies an increased family burden. Few other illness-related variables have, however, been investigated in this context. This study investigates how family burden is affected by symptom, function, and cognition, as well as how the patient perceives his/her illness and quality of life.

Method

A total of 99 relatives, to as many patients diagnosed with psychosis and with their illness at a stable level, participated in this study. The relatives estimated their perceived burden, the patients rated the distress caused by their illness as well as the quality of their lives, and the care staff rated the patients’ symptom and function as well as tested their cognitive abilities.

Results

Increased family burden can be tied to the patients’ increased symptom severity, to their impaired functioning as well as to the patients’ higher self ratings regarding distress. The family burden is also connected to the patient’s reduced working memory and reduced executive functioning, but this connection is not totally clear and should be further investigated. Of the variables that the patients were rated on, it was the overall functional ability measured with GAF that had the single most impact on perceived family burden.

Conclusions

Controlling of illness-related variables, such as symptoms, impaired functioning, impaired working memory and executive functioning, as well as the patients’ own experiences of distress, is important in order to lessen the burden for the relatives. All aspects of family burden are, however, not explained by these factors, which is why further research within this realm is required.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank all patients and relatives taking part in the CLIPS study. The study was approved by the Ethical Research Committee at Göteborg University, Sweden, and was supported by unrestricted grants from Janssen-Cilag AB, Sollentuna, Sweden. Authors also acknowledge the excellent technical assistance of Anne Marie Harrysson, Ruth Johansson, and Maivor Olsson.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, NU-Healthcare, 461 85, Trollhättan, Sweden

    Fredrik Hjärthag, Lars Helldin & Ulla Karilampi

  2. Department of Psychology, Karlstad University, 651 88, Karlstad, Sweden

    Fredrik Hjärthag, Lars Helldin & Torsten Norlander

  3. Department of Psychology, Göteborg University, Box 500, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden

    Ulla Karilampi

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  1. Fredrik Hjärthag
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  2. Lars Helldin
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Correspondence to Fredrik Hjärthag.

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Hjärthag, F., Helldin, L., Karilampi, U. et al. Illness-related components for the family burden of relatives to patients with psychotic illness. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 45, 275–283 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0065-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0065-x

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