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Caregiver burden and coping

A prospective study of relationship between burden and coping in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder

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Abstract

Introduction

Caregivers of patients of schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder (BAD) experience considerable burden while caring their patients. They develop different coping strategies to deal with this burden. Longitudinal studies are required to assess the relationship between caregiver burden and coping.

Aim

The present study was conducted to assess relationship between burden and coping in caregivers of clinically stable patients with schizophrenia and BAD.

Method

One hundred patients each of schizophrenia and BAD attending a psychiatric outpatient setting and their caregivers were followed up for a period of 6 months. Burden and coping strategies were assessed in the caregivers at baseline, and after 3 and 6 months using the Burden Assessment Schedule (BAS) and Ways of Coping Checklist - Hindi Adaptation (WCC - HA).

Results

Burden remained stable over 6 months and was comparable in the two groups of caregivers. Caregivers from both the groups were found to use problem focused coping strategies more often than seek social support and avoidance strategies. Scores on avoidance type of coping showed a positive correlation with the total burden scores and a number of burden factors.

Conclusion

Caregivers of patients of schizophrenia and BAD face similar levels of burden and use similar types of coping methods to deal with it. Relationship between caregiver burden and coping is quite complex.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Indian Council of Medical Research for financially supporting the study; Professor N.G. Desai and Dr. D.K. Gupta, Department of Psychiatry and Professor J.S. Bapna former Director, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Dilshad Garden, Delhi 110095, India for their help and contributions to the work at different stages; and Dr. H.C. Joshi, Ms Ashima Srivastava and Ms Himali Bangia, the research staff of the study. The authors would also like to express their thanks to Dr. S.K. Khandelwal, Professor of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India for his valuable comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India

    Rakesh K. Chadda

  2. Dept. of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences, Delhi, India

    Tej B. Singh

  3. Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India

    Kalyan K. Ganguly

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  1. Rakesh K. Chadda
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  2. Tej B. Singh
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  3. Kalyan K. Ganguly
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Correspondence to Rakesh K. Chadda.

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Chadda, R.K., Singh, T.B. & Ganguly, K.K. Caregiver burden and coping. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 42, 923–930 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0242-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0242-8

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