Abstract:
Background: - Caregiver burden is the physical, psychological or emotional, social, and financial problems caused due to caring for a chronically ill or impaired family member. A better understanding of the burden felt by caregivers and their subjective view as to the problem will be one input to develop practical, appropriate, and acceptable interventions for caregivers, and to improve the training of professionals working with schizophrenia and diabetes mellitus (DM).
Objective: To compare the magnitude of caregiver burden and associated factors among caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and diabetic mellitus attending Jimma University medical center, south west Ethiopia, 2019.
Methods: -Institutional based comparative cross-sectional study design was employed. Data was collected using the family burden interview schedule from April 15 to June 7, 2019 from a total of 292 consecutively selected participants. Bivariate analysis using Pearson’s correlation, ANOVA and independent t – test was used and multiple Linear regression analysis was carried out. Statistical significance was considered at p-values less than 0.05.
Results: - Caregiver burden among caregivers of patients with schizophrenia was 20.09±9.751 and among DM caregivers was 12.08±5.824. Quality of life of the caregiver [ β= - 0.106, p < 0.01 among schizophrenia and β =-0.071, p< 0.01 for DM], coping strength [ β= - 0.193, p< 0.05 among schizophrenia, β= -0.185, p< 0.05 among DM caregivers ], stigma towards the caregiver [ β= 0.292, p< 0.05 among schizophrenia and β = 0.240, p< 0.01 among DM caregiver ] and low level of medication adherence [ β = 3.971, p< 0.05 among schizophrenia and β= 5.290, p< 0.01 among DM] were predictors of caregiver burden in both groups. Number of family members who accompany the key caregiver [β= - 0.908, p< 0.05] was a predictor for caregiver burden among caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Strong social support [β= - 3.017, p< 0.001] and patient having moderate and severe level of limitation of activity of daily living [β= 3.602, P< 0.05 and β= 4.201, p< 0.05] were associated with caregiver burden among DM caregivers.
Conclusion and recommendation: - Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia face higher burdened than caregiver s of patients with DM. Screening for burden and its effect on mental and physical health is a better way to manage the consequences.
