Burden experienced by care-givers of persons with bipolar affective disorder. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • BACKGROUND: Family members of patients with schizophrenia frequently report burdens associated with caring for their relatives. AIMS: We evaluate the impact of illness beliefs on the burden reported by family care-givers of people with bipolar illness. METHOD: The multivariate relationships between patient symptomatology and family illness beliefs and report of burden were examined at baseline among care-givers of 266 patients with Research Diagnostic Criteria-diagnosed bipolar illness who were subsequently followed for 15 months. RESULTS: At baseline, 93% of care-givers reported moderate or greater distress in at least one burden domain. As a group, care-giver illness beliefs (illness awareness, perception of patient and family control) explained an additional 18-28% of variance in burden experienced beyond the effects of the patient's clinical state and history. CONCLUSIONS: Care-givers of patients with bipolar illness report widespread burden that is influenced by beliefs about the illness.

publication date

  • July 1, 1999

Research

keywords

  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Caregivers

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0033061360

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1192/bjp.175.1.56

PubMed ID

  • 10621769

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 175