Effect of hospitalization on caregiver burden associated with severe mental illnesses

Abstract

Objective: Caregiver burden (CB) can be understood as the load borne or strained by a person who takes care of a chronically ill, disabled, or elderly relative. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of caregiver burden among caregivers of patients with severe mental illnesses. Materials and methods: This longitudinal study was conducted at the Psychiatry Department of the "Dr. José Eleuterio Gonzalez" University Hospital from November 2018 to October 2019. The Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview was used to measure the burden on the main caregiver, which realized at admission and discharge. Results: The final sample consisted of 96 caregivers. At admission, 35.2% of caregivers of patients with major depressive disorder presented burden, 50% in the case of borderline personality disorder, 56% in the case of bipolar disorder, and 66.7% in the case of schizophrenia. The scores compared to admission with discharge showed a statistically significant decrease among caregivers of patients with depression (p = 0.047) and schizophrenia (p = 0.005). In contrast, the mean score increased without significance at discharge among caregivers of bipolar and borderline personality disorder patients. Conclusion: Significant reductions in the degree of CB throughout hospitalization were observed only in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and depression. Hospitalization could improve CB by facilitating better treatment and patient vigilance, giving caregivers more time to invest in social and personal activities, and in the care of their physical and mental health.