Factors affecting the family support system of patients with schizophrenia: A survey in the remote island of Tsushima

Abstract

Possible support for home-cared schizophrenic patients and their families was investigated on Tsushima, one of the many isolated islands in Japan. The psychopathologic symptoms of the patients were evaluated using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scales (BPRS), their social adjustment using the Psychiatric Disability Assessment Schedule (DAS), mental states of the families using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and the quality of life (QOL) using the Life Satisfaction Rating Scales (LSR). The family support systems for the patients were evaluated with regard to: (i) family support for the patient's daily life (FS), (ii) hardships of family life caused by living with the patient (HF), and (iii) empathic attitude of the family toward the patient (EA). Psychotic symptoms of schizophrenic patients were closely related to the mental state and QOL of their families. Family support was significantly correlated with HF and EA. Moreover, the family support system was shown to be related both to the psychotic symptoms of the patient and the mental state of the family. These results suggest that an approach to improve the family support system for the patient may exert positive effects on the patient's psychotic symptoms and his/her social adjustment. We also consider that intervention by a public organization is necessary to improve the family support system on islands.

Risk and protective factors for relapse among Individuals with Schizophrenia: A Qualitative Study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

“…Patients were very grateful for the support they received from their care givers during their illness episodes, when attending the clinic for follow up visits, encouragement and supervision when taking their medication and in fulfillment of other basic needs of life like education, employment, and health in general. These results are in agreement with a study of 121 patients and their 121 family members in Japan which found that more than 70% of the families replied that they ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ supported the patients in mental health management and daily living such as ‘observation of the condition’ and ‘taking drugs’ [28]. …”

Urban–rural differences in psychiatric rehabilitation outcomes

“…[21][22][23] The collective family structure and 'close knit' nature of rural communities were discussed as some of the features of the social capital that represented a considerable asset for rural communities to deal with mental health issues. 7,24 Several studies presented a negative impression on the state of mentally ill in rural communities 25 while some found evidence to the contrary.…”

Le rôle du soutien social, du fardeau familial et de la satisfaction des services dans la détresse psychologique et la qualité de vie des familles de personnes souffrant de schizophrénie

“…Ces résultats sur la détresse psychologique contrastent avec ceux recensés dans les études précé-dentes, lesquelles rapportent des taux très élevés de détresse chez les proches de personnes présentant des problèmes graves de santé mentale (Provencher et al, 2003 ;Bibou-Nakou et al, 1997, Song et al, 1997Stengard et Stalokangas, 1997 ;St-Onge et Lavoie, 1997 ;Winefield et Harvey, 1993 ;Oldridge et Hugues, 1992 ;Gibbons et al, 1984) et une moins bonne qualité de vie (Addington et al, 2003 ;Hamada et al, 2003 ;Golimbet et Trubnikov, 2001 Tableau 3 Les prédicteurs de la détresse et de la qualité de vie identifiés par des analyses de régression multiples que la qualité des services reçus ait contribué à alléger leur détresse (Doornbos, 2002b ;Ostman et al, 2000 ;Lanzara et al, 1999 ;Greenberg et al, 1997). D'autre part, il est également possible que les personnes ayant des troubles mentaux graves qui ont été recrutées et qui ont accepté que leur famille soit interviewée, aient un niveau de fonctionnement supérieur à la moyenne et qu'elles aient de meilleures relations avec leur famille, allégeant ainsi leur fardeau et leur détresse.…”

“…La perception de la gravité de la maladie de leur proche est négativement associée au bien-être psychologique des familles (Addington et al, 2003) et à leur qualité de vie (Hamada et al, 2003). La qualité de vie des familles est également réduite, et ce particulièrement chez les mères et les soeurs, dans le domaine des relations sociales (Golimbet et Trubnikov, 2001).…”