Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Mental disorder in Polish families: is diagnosis a predictor of caregiver’s burden?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To test whether a caregiver’s burden is associated with the patient’s psychiatric diagnosis and to find other predictors of family burden; to provide Polish data on the issue to international literature.

Method

Of 377 eligible subjects, 141 were interviewed on admission to the mental hospital using Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life, Groningen Social Disability Schedule and Client’s Sociodemographic and Clinical History Inventory. Their caregivers completed the Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire (IEQ). Subjects were grouped according to ICD-10 diagnoses: schizophrenia (n = 55), depression (n = 61), and anxiety and personality disorders (n = 25). Highly aggressive, suicidal and somatically unstable patients were excluded along with patients below 18 and over 65 years. Statistics included multiple regression analysis, ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis and chi-square tests.

Results

Diagnostic groups differed with respect to sociodemographics, psychopathology and quality of life, but not with respect to mean level of social functioning. Despite between-group differences, the caregiver’s burden did not differ according to the diagnostic group. Of the four dimensions of burden, “worrying” and “urging” scored the highest. Majority of caregivers worried about their relative’s general health (82%), future (74%) and financial status (66%). Caregivers’ characteristics and not patients’ explained the largest proportion of the family burden variance (almost 23% for IEQ Tension). Higher burden seemed to be associated with the carer’s age, being a parent and number of hours spent weekly on caring for the ill relative. Lower burden was associated with the carers’ subjective feelings of being able to cope with problems and to pursue their own activities. Longer history of patient’s illness led to higher IEQ Tension. Polish caregivers were affected by their role in the same way as their counterparts abroad, but more of them were worried.

Conclusions

The caregiver’s burden seems to be independent of the patient’s diagnosis, but other factors contribute to the perceived burden, many of which are on the caregiver’s part. In Poland, the overall family burden may be attributed mostly to worrying about a mentally ill relative and his future. All caregivers may benefit from psychoeducation and family interventions usually planned for those caring for relatives with schizophrenia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Angermeyer MC, Liebelt P, Matschinger H (2001) Distress in parents of patients suffering from schizophrenia or affective disorders. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol 51(6):255–260

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Awad AG, Voruganti LN (2008) The burden of schizophrenia on caregivers: a review. Pharmacoeconomics 26(2):149–162

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Baronet AM (1999) Factors associated with caregiver burden in mental illness: a critical review of the research literature. Clin Psychol Rev 19(7):819–841

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Chisholm D, Knapp MRJ, Knudsen HC, Amaddeo F, Gaite L, van Wijngaarden B (2000) Client Socio-Demographic and Service Receipt Inventory—European Version: development of an instrument for international research: EPSILON Study 5. Br J Psychiatry 177:28–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Cleary M, Hunt GE, Walter G, Freeman A (2006) The patient’s view of need and caregiving consequences: a cross-sectional study of inpatients with severe mental illness. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs 13(5):506–514

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Cleary M, Freeman A, Hunt GE, Walter G (2006) Patient and carer perceptions of need and associations with care-giving burden in an integrated adult mental health service. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 41(3):208–214

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Cuijpers P, Stam H (2000) Burnout among relatives of psychiatric patients attending psychoeducational support groups. Psychiatr Serv 51(3):375–379

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gutiérrez-Maldonado J, Caqueo-Urízar A, Kavanagh DJ (2005) Burden of care and general health in families of patients with schizophrenia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 40(11):899–904

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Harvey K, Burns T, Fahy T, Manley C, Tattan T (2001) Relatives of patients with severe psychotic illness: factors that influence appraisal of caregiving and psychological distress. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 36:456–461

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hasui C et al (2002) Burden on family members of the mentally ill: a naturalistic study in Japan. Compr Psychiatry 43(3):219–222

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Heru AM, Ryan CE, Vlastos K (2004) Quality of life and family functioning in caregivers of relatives with mood disorders. Psychiatr Rehabil J 28(1):67–71

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hoenig J, Hamilton MW (1966) The schizophrenic patient in the community and his effect on the household. Int J Soc Psychiatry 12(3):165–176

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Jenkins JH, Schumacher JG (1999) Family burden of schizophrenia and depressive illness. Specifying the effects of ethnicity, gender and social ecology. Br J Psychiatry 174:31–38

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Jungbauer J, Angermeyer MC (2002) Living with a schizophrenic patient: a comparative study of burden as it affects parents and spouses. Psychiatry 65(2):110–123

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kallert TW et al (2005) The EUNOMIA project on coercion in psychiatry: study design and preliminary data. World Psychiatry 4(3):168–172

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Kallert TW et al (2007) Are day hospitals effective for acutely ill psychiatric patients? A European multicenter randomized controlled trial. J Clin Psychiatry 68(2):278–287

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kalra H, Kamath P, Trivedi JK, Janca A (2008) Caregiver burden in anxiety disorders. Curr Opin Psychiatry 21(1):70–73

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Lauber C, Eichenberger A, Luginbühl P, Keller C, Rössler W (2003) Determinants of burden in caregivers of patients with exacerbating schizophrenia. Eur Psychiatry 18:285–289

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Lim YM, Ahn YH (2003) Burden of family caregivers with schizophrenic patients in Korea. Appl Nurs Res 16(2):110–117

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Lowyck B, De Hert M, Peeters E, Wampers M, Gilis P, Peuskens J (2004) A study of the family burden of 150 family members of schizophrenic patients. Eur Psychiatry 19(7):395–401

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Madianos M, Economou M, Dafni O, Koukia E, Palli A, Rogakou E (2004) Family disruption, economic hardship and psychological distress in schizophrenia: can they be measured? Eur Psychiatry 19(7):408–414

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Magliano L et al (1998) Burden on the families of patients with schizophrenia: results of the BIOMED I study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 33(9):405–412

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Magliano L et al (2000) Family burden and coping strategies in schizophrenia: 1-year follow-up data from the BIOMED I study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 5(3):109–115

    Google Scholar 

  24. Magne-Ingvar U, Ojehagen A (2005) Significant others of persons with mental health problems: the testing of a questionnaire on the burden of significant others. Nord J Psychiatry 59(6):441–447

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Möller-Leimkühler AM (2005) Burden of relatives and predictors of burden. Baseline results from the Munich 5-year-follow-up study on relatives of first hospitalized patients with schizophrenia or depression. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 255(4):223–231

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Möller-Leimkühler AM (2006) Multivariate prediction of relatives’ stress outcome one year after first hospitalization of schizophrenic and depressed patients. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 256(2):122–130

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Mors O, Sørensen LV, Therkildsen ML (1992) Distress in the relatives of psychiatric patients admitted for the first time. Acta Psychiatr Scand 85(5):337–344

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Ohaeri JU (2001) Caregiver burden and psychotic patients’ perception of social support in a Nigerian setting. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 36:86–89

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Östman M, Hansson L (2004) Appraisal of caregiving, burden and psychological distress in relatives of psychiatric inpatients. Eur Psychiatry 19:402–407

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Östman M, Wallsten T, Kjellin L (2005) Family burden and relatives’ participation in psychiatric care: are the patient’s diagnosis and the relation to the patient of importance? Int J Soc Psychiatry 51(4):291–301

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Page A, Hooke G, O’Brien N, de Felice N (2006) Assessment of distress and burden in Australian private psychiatric inpatients. Australas Psychiatry 14(3):285–290

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Pawłowski T, Kiejna A (2004) Pathways to psychiatric care and reform of the public health care system in Poland. Eur Psychiatry 19(3):168–171

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Priebe S, Huxley P, Knight S, Evans S (1999) Application and results of the Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life (MANSA). Int J Soc Psychiatry 45(1):7–12

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Puzyński S, Langiewicz W, Pietrzykowska B (2006) Current problems in psychiatric health care in Poland (2005). Psychiatr Pol 40(2):177–189

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Roick C et al (2007) Burden on caregivers of people with schizophrenia: comparison between Germany and Britain. Br J Psychiatry 190:333–338

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Roick C, Heider D, Toumi M, Angermeyer MC (2006) The impact of caregivers’ characteristics, patients’ conditions and regional differences on family burden in schizophrenia: a longitudinal analysis. Acta Psychiatr Scand 114(5):363–374

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Rose LE, Mallinson RK, Gerson LD (2006) Mastery, burden, and areas of concern among family caregivers of mentally ill persons. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 20(1):41–51

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Schene AH, van Wijngaarden B, Koeter M (1998) Family caregiving in schizophrenia: domains and distress. Schizophr Bull 24(4):609–618

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Stengård E (2002) Caregiving types and psychosocial well-being of caregivers of people with mental illness in Finland. Psychiatr Rehabil J 26(2):154–164

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. van Wijngaarden B, Schene AH, Koeter M (2004) Family caregiving in depression: impact on caregivers’ daily life, distress, and help seeking. J Affect Disord 81:211–222

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. van Wijngaarden B et al (2000) Caregiving in schizophrenia: development, internal consistency and reliability of the Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire—European Version. Br J Psychiatry 177(suppl.39):21–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Veltro F, Magliano L, Lobrace S, Morosini PL, Maj M (1994) Burden on key relatives of patients with schizophrenia vs. neurotic disorders: a pilot study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 29(2):66–70

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Ventura J, Nuechterlein KH, Subotnik KL, Gutkind D, Gilbert EA (2000) Symptom dimensions in recent-onset schizophrenia and mania: a principal components analysis of the 24-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Psychiatry Res 97(2–3):129–135

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Wiersma D, de Jong A, Kraaijkamp HJM, Ormel J (1990) GSDS II: The Groningen Social Disabilities Schedule, second version: manual, questionnaire, and rating form. University of Groningen, Department of Social Psychiatry, Groningen

    Google Scholar 

  45. Wittmund B, Wilms HU, Mory C, Angermeyer MC (2002) Depressive disorders in spouses of mentally ill patients. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 37(4):177–182

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank E. Trypka and W. Sarnowski for their contribution. This research was supported by the EU grant (EDEN, 5th Framework Program, Contract No: QLG4-CT-2000-01700) and by the grant of the Polish State Committee for Scientific Research (Contract No: 0696/P05/2005/28).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Ul. Pasteura 10, 50-367, Wroclaw, Poland

    Tomasz Hadryś, Tomasz Adamowski & Andrzej Kiejna

Authors
  1. Tomasz Hadryś
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tomasz Adamowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Andrzej Kiejna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tomasz Hadryś.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hadryś, T., Adamowski, T. & Kiejna, A. Mental disorder in Polish families: is diagnosis a predictor of caregiver’s burden?. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 46, 363–372 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0200-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0200-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation