The burden experienced by family caregivers of patients with epilepsy attending the government psychiatric hospital, Kaduna, Nigeria

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Caring for patients with chronic medical and psychiatric disorders is associated with significant burden. However little is known about the burden experience by caregivers of patients with epilepsy in Nigeria. The objective of this study, therefore, was to assess the level and correlates of burden among caregivers of patients with epilepsy. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study carried out among 231 eligible caregivers of patients with epilepsy attending the psychiatric clinic of government psychiatric hospital in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria. Socio-demographic/clinical characteristics of patients and sociodemographic characteristics of caregivers were recorded, and the Zarit Burden Interview administered to caregivers to assess their experience of burden. RESULTS: The mean age of the caregivers was 43.6 ±9.5

Towards caring for caregivers: assessing the burden of care and experience of associative stigma among caregivers of patients with chronic mental illnesses at a mental health care facility in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

“…This agrees with the findings from a study conducted in Northern Nigeria in 2010, which revealed that most of the care giving family members of patients with epilepsy were parents (62.7%) or spouses (17.7%) [9]. Spouses had a high degree of burden (33.9%), which is statistically significant across the other levels of relationship to the patients (p-value < 0.001).…”

“…The total burden score for a participant is the sum of the scores in all the items. This tool has been validated and used in a number of studies involving caregiver burden in Nigeria [4,9,13,14].…”

“…It describes the term 'family burden' or 'caregiver burden'; therefore, it refers to the effects of the mental illness of one family member on the emotional wellbeing of other family members, as well as on the family member's use of time, finances and general living conditions. Broadly speaking, this includes physical care of the patient, compromises to the personal freedom and leisure activities of the family members, financial cost, psychological burden of stigma by association and impact on functional health [8,9].…”

Burden and psychological effects : caregiver experiences in a psychiatric outpatient unit in Lagos, Nigeria

“…22 However, cultural views and superstition about mental illness persist in many parts of the country and still affect care of the mentally ill, and by extension also affect the caregiver. Very limited research has been conducted locally on this subject 23,24,25 , and this study will hopefully add to efforts in this area. The investigator's main purpose in the study was to determine the psychological factors, distress and the experience of burden of care among caregivers with the aim of contributing towards planning relevant culturally sensitive interventions to improve the wellbeing of caregivers.…”

Impact of emotional distress on caregivers burden among Nigerian children with Obstructive Adenotonsillar hypertrophy

“…Specifically, studies have identified a bi-directional relationship between caregiving burden and psychological distress among patients with various chronic medical illnesses [13,15,16]. Unfortunately, while caregiver burden has been extensively examined in relation to many chronic illnesses [15][16][17][18][19], there appears to be none among caregivers of children with OAT. Similar scenarios have been reported in the developed world [15] as caregivers have often been referred to as the hidden patients [16].…”