ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Minerva Psichiatrica 2017 September;58(3):118-24

DOI: 10.23736/S0391-1772.17.01940-9

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Characteristics of the caregiver in mental health: stress and strain

Nicola POLONI, Silvia M. ARMANI, Marta IELMINI, Ivano CASELLI, Rosario SUTERA, Roberto PAGANI, Camilla CALLEGARI ✉

Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy

BACKGROUND: After the closing of psychiatric hospitals caring for someone with a mental illness has become a family endeavor. The aim of this study was to assess levels of depression, anxiety and distress experienced by caregivers and the correlation between the intensity of these symptoms and the emotional burden perceived.
METHODS: Participants were recruited from September 2015 until February 2016. Caregivers’ strain, depression, anxiety and distress were evaluated through the administration of FSQ-SF and DASS-21; VGF assessed patients’ global capabilities.
RESULTS: Forty percent of caregivers falls within the risk area “strongly recommended”, 35% within the risk area “urgent” of FSQ-SF. Scores are higher in females than in males. Personality Disorders evokes the greatest emotional impact in caregivers, followed by psychotic disorders and mood and anxiety disorders. The comparison between the mean score of the three DASS-21 subscales highlight the highest value in “stress” category, followed by “depression” and “anxiety”. A positive correlation between FSQ-SF scores and DASS-21 subscales scores is observed (0.3CONCLUSIONS: Women with a medium-low level of education, usually retired, are the main relative involved in patient care. Future research could focus on factors causing psychological distress among caregivers and propose valid coping strategies and support.

KEY WORDS: Caregivers - Mental health - Stress, psychological