RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Caregivers of individuals suffering from psychiatric illness are at risk of being subjected to mental health consequences such as depression, anxiety and burnout. Community-based studies proved that 18-47% of caregivers land in depression. The caregiver burden can be quantified into objective, subjective and demand burdens. There is paucity of data comparing the caregiver burden of psychiatric patients and that of chronic medical illness patients. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: (1) To compare the caregiver burden in psychiatric illness and chronic medical illness. (2) To study the association of caregiver burden with demographic factors like age, gender, duration of caregiving. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included two groups of caregivers, each of 50 members. Group 1 consisted of caregivers of psychiatric patients and group 2 consisted of caregivers of chronic medical illness patients. The Montgomery Borgatta Caregiver Burden scale was used to assess the burden in terms of objective, subjective and demand burdens. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The caregiver burden scores in the caregivers of psychiatric patients were significantly higher than that of chronic medical illness (P<0.0001). The caregiver burden was found to increase with the duration of illness as well as with the age of caregiver. The caregiver burden in the sample population was less as the objective and demand burden did not cross the reference higher value in the given scale, whereas the emotional impact given by the subjective burden was on higher side.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is one of the severe forms of mental illness which demands enormous personal and economical costs. Recent years have attracted considerable interest in the dual problem of depression in schizophrenia and its relation to insight. Most clinicians believe that poor insight in patients with schizophrenia, though problematic for treatment adherence, may be protective with respect to suicide. The assumption is that patients who do not believe that they are ill are less likely to be suicidal. Alternatively, those patients with schizophrenia who recognize and acknowledge the illness will be more of a suicidal nature. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study is to find out the correlation between insight and depression in schizophrenic population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional, single-centred, correlation study done in a total of 60 subjects. Inclusion Criteria - Subjects between 20-60 years, who were diagnosed to have schizophrenia as per International clasification of diseases-10 and who have given written consent to participate in the study. Exclusion Criteria - Subjects who have other diagnosis such as mood disorder, schizoaffective disorder, mental retardation, epilepsy or detectable organic disease and co morbid substance abuse are excluded from the study. Schizophrenics who have acute exacerbation are also excluded. Instruments - For insight assessment, schedule for assessment of insight, a three item rating scale, is used. For depressive symptoms assessment a nine item rating scale, Calgary depression rating scale, is administrated. RESULTS: Insight and depression are strongly correlated in schizophrenic population with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.758. The correlation between insight and depression is high in subjects with less duration of illness. CONCLUSION: Better insight was significantly correlated with lower mood. In addition, it suggests that poor insight may protect against depression in the early stages of recovery from schizophrenia. The correlation between insight and depression is high in subjects with less duration of illness.
