Coping strategies and associated factors among Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia at the Outpatient unit of jimma medical center, jimma, southwest, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. The challenges of providing care for a family member with schizophrenia might make it difficult to care for them. Determining coping strategies and related factors can aid in creating treatments that assist caregivers and enhance outcomes for the individual with schizophrenia, as well as the caregivers. Objective: To assess levels of coping strategies and associated factors among caregivers of patients with schizophrenia at the outpatient unit of JMC, Jimma, southwest Ethiopia, 2024. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was employed. Data collection was conducted among 400 caregivers of patients with schizophrenia selected by consecutive sampling methods at the Jimma Medical Center psychiatry clinic from November 10 to December 20, 2024. Interviewer-administered questionnaires using Brief Cope were utilized. Psychological distress was evaluated using the ten-item Kessler psychological distress scale (K10); the 12-item Zarit burden scale assessed caregiver burden, and social support was measured using the Oslo-3 Social Support Scale. Data were entered into the Kobo tool and exported to IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25.0 for analysis. A descriptive study was performed. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression were used for data analysis. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: A total of 400 caregivers were involved in the study, with a response rate of 100 %.The most commonly used coping strategy was emotion-focused (Mean=6.7, SD=1.52). The most frequently used emotion-focused coping strategy was Religion (Mean=6.24, SD=1.58). 26 % had psychological distress, and 44.8% reported caregiver burden. When included in multiple linear regression, psychological distress and social support are significantly associated with all three coping strategies. Conclusion: The study reveals that emotion-focused coping is the most common strategy among caregivers of schizophrenia patients, highlighting the reliance on emotional regulation and social support. However, the study also found high levels of psychological distress and caregiver burden, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address emotional and psychological needs and improve mental health outcomes