Although the burdens of relatives of schizophrenia patients have been the subject of numerous studies, there are hardly any publications on the living situation of the patients' spouses. The findings of this qualitative interview study of 52 spouses of schizophrenia patients are, therefore, especially noteworthy. Spouses not only face illness-specific burdens but also burdens resulting from their partnership and family roles. From a biographical point of view, schizophrenia is often evaluated by the spouse as a decisive point in life that seriously affects the couple's relationship, the family, and the spouse's own life. The chronic burdens of everyday living can profoundly reduce the quality of life and the subject's satisfaction with the partnership. Though partnerships with schizophrenia patients are at risk of breakdown and separation in many respects, they are often maintained for years. Despite the illness-related burdens, many spouses take positive stock of living together. Stable partnerships seem to be achievable when the partner's impairment is perceived as moderate or moderately severe, and when the frequency at which psychotic episodes occur is assessed as still being tolerable. Spouses who suffer from mental illness or impairment themselves often experience the partnership as an appropriate and satisfactory way of life. In these cases, the mutual understanding rooted in the subject's own experiences with the illness is important.

Based on the analysis of 42 in-depth interviews, this article highlights different aspects of the subjective burden experienced by parents and spouses of patients suffering from schizophrenia. The onset of a schizophrenic disorder and acute episodes during the later course of the disease lead to considerable emotional distress for the patients' caregivers. In everyday life with the patient, parents and spouses experience a comparatively less dramatic chronic burden, which nevertheless can severely affect their living situation and well-being. Caregivers often feel disappointed and dissatisfied with the information and cooperation offered by psychiatric institutions. Parents and spouses perceive the caregiver burden differently, although there are some apparent similarities. The study reveals that the symptoms of a schizophrenic disorder as well as different family roles contribute to the subjective burden of parents and spouses. Supportive assistance for schizophrenic patients' caregivers should address their particular needs more adequately.

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From the viewpoint of family psychology, schizophrenia is a serious obstacle to development that affects both patients and their parents. Family-related support should increasingly take into account the issue of the difficult detachment of patients from their parents.

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