Objective: Relatives of persons with schizophrenia have an essential role in informal caregiving. This may result in a high level of burden. Aim of the study was to investigate, if the frequency of unmet needs among relatives caring for schizophrenia patients increases the risk for burden among these relatives.
Methods: 135 relatives of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were investigated by means of the "Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire" (IEQ) and the "Carer's Needs Assessment for Schizophrenia" (CNA-S).
Results: Multiple linear regression analyses showed positive associations between the frequency of caregivers' unmet needs and the IEQ-subscores "tension" and "worrying". Further, the IEQ-subscore "worrying" was significantly lower among caregivers of outpatients than among caregivers of inpatients or day hospital patients. The IEQ-subscore "urging" was significantly associated with patient's negative symptoms.
Conclusion: Unmet needs among caring relatives have negative effects on their burden. Further, the patients' type of treatment setting (inpatient, outpatient, day hospital) seems to predict caregivers' burden.
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.