An-Najah Staff

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess family burden of caregivers of mentally ill patients and find out whether there is any relation between the perceived burden of caregivers of patients with mental illness and independent variables such as age, sex, education, economic status, and type of mental illness in Nablus District. Methodology: Descriptive, cross sectional design was used to achieve the aim of the study. Convenient sampling method was used to select the subject during the period from November 2012 – January 2013; it was distributed using quota method; 50 patients for each one of the following diagnosis: schizophrenia, mood disorder, and mental retardation, who were attending psychiatric outpatient clinics in Nablus district. The Zarit burden interview and the objective burden section from the Montgomery Borgatta caregiver burden scale were used to assess the burden. Result: The mean of subjective burden was mild to moderate (28.84), while objective was low (17.93). Also, the mean of psychological, social, and economic burden was low, and physical burden was low to moderate. The results showed that burden scores were significantly correlated with gender, educational level, and economic status. No significant differences were found between participants according to their age and type of mental illness. Conclusion: Higher subjective burden scores were correlated to being female, low educational level, and low economic status. While higher objective burden scores were correlated to being male, high educational level, and high economic status. Taking care of mentally ill patients affects the family negatively, so psychiatric nursing intervention should be focused on the need of the caregivers and an emphasis placed on community care for mentally ill patients as well as family intervention.

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