Burden on family members of the mentally ill: a naturalistic study in Japan

Compr Psychiatry. 2002 May-Jun;43(3):219-22. doi: 10.1053/comp.2002.32360.

Abstract

People with mental disorders often cause distress among their family members. We examined a total of 25 pairs of newly referred psychiatric patients and their family members to investigate the correlations between family burden and patient diagnosis (using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R [SCID] axis I disorders), symptomatic severity (Positive and Negative Symptoms Scales [PANSS]), global function (Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF]), and the general level of family function (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale [FACES]). The subjective and objective burdens on the family were assessed by self-report. The subjective and objective burdens were significantly predicted only by the GAF score.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adult
  • Cost of Illness*
  • Family / psychology*
  • Family Health*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Stress, Psychological / diagnosis
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires