Caregiver criticism, help‐giving, and the burden of schizophrenia among Mexican American families

Abstract

Objectives The present study tested an attribution model of help-giving in family caregivers of persons with schizophrenia as it relates to caregivers’ reported burden. We hypothesized (a) that caregivers’ attributions of their ill relatives’ responsibility for their symptoms would be associated with more negative and less positive affective reactions, (b) that affective reactions would be related to perceptions of administered support, and (c) that support would in turn predict greater burden. Methods We examined 60 family caregivers of Mexican origin living in Southern California. Mexican Americans were chosen because of their high degree of contact with their ill relative thereby facilitating the examination of help-giving and burden. Contrary to past studies, caregivers’ attributions and affective stance were assessed independently, the former based on self-report and the latter based on codes drawn from the Camberwell Family Interview. Caregiver burden was assessed at baseline and one year later. Results Path analyses showed partial support for the attribution model of help-giving. Specifically, attributions of responsibility negatively predicted caregiver’s warmth, which in turn predicted more administered support. Contrary to hypotheses, attributions were not associated with caregiver criticism, and criticism was positively related to administered support. In addition, caregiver support was not related to burden at either baseline or a year later. Criticism was a significant predictor of burden at follow-up through burden at baseline. Conclusion The emotional stance of caregivers predicts burden independent of the help they provide. Caregiver criticism not only predicts negative patient outcomes but can predict negative caregiver outcomes as well.

The Relationship of Relatives’ Illness Perception, Expressed Emotion and Their Burden in Caring for Patients with Schizophrenia

“…More criticism may be associated with greater burden. This is in consistent with Bianca T. Villalobos, et al 2017, who stated that their findings demonstrated that the high emotional expression or criticism link with caregiver burden [29].…”

“…The emotion expression of the patients' relative is closely related to burden of disease. More negative affect is associated with less helping and more positive affect is associated with more helping and in turn greater helping would be associated with greater caregiver burden [14,15].…”

Psychosocial rehabilitation of individuals with schizophrenia: a scoping review protocol

“…The disabling effect of schizophrenia not only affects individuals but also affects their families and health practitioners. The burden on families stems from monitoring the patient’s hygiene, the use of medication, comportment at social gatherings, follow-up with health care providers, and the need to deal with mood, cognitive and behavioural changes [ 11 – 13 ]. The burden of care on families with schizophrenia causes emotional distress in family members and increases their chances of also developing schizophrenia or other forms of mental illness [ 14 ].…”

Rehabilitation of Individuals With Schizophrenia: a Scoping Review Protocol of Evidence From Sub-saharan Africa

“…The disabling effect of schizophrenia not only affects individuals but also affects their families and health practitioners. The burden on families stems from monitoring: the personal hygiene of the patient, the use of medication, comportment at social gatherings, follow-up with health care providers, and the need to deal with mood, cognitive and behavioural changes 16,17,18 . The burden of care on families with mental illness causes emotional distress in family members and increases their chances of also developing mental illness 19 .…”