思覺失調症病患主要照顧者照顧負荷之研究

The Study of Primary Caregivers’Burden of Patients with Schizophrenia

提昇慢性精神病患之主要照顧者的身心健康，降低照顧者的負荷為精神醫療社會工作的重要課題。本研究之目的在瞭解思覺失調症病患主要照顧者照顧負荷與影響照顧負荷的相關因素。樣本來源以台灣中部地區某醫學中心的門診與日間病房之思覺失調症主要照顧者為受訪對象。採用主要照顧者負荷量表之結構式問卷，透過面訪進行資料蒐集，所得有效樣本共160份。資料分析結果顯示：照顧者負荷總量以中度負荷至中重度負荷者共約佔95%；主要照顧者之照顧時間與照顧負荷具有顯著正相關，照顧者每日平均照顧患者的時間愈長，照顧者緊張感次負荷愈高；照顧者為病患之母親，其整體照顧負荷高於子女和手足及其他照顧者；照顧者中有需要同時兼顧家中老人或生病家人者，照顧者整體照顧負荷、家庭干擾次負荷、病患依賴次負荷皆高於不需要同時兼顧家中老人或生病家人之照顧者。根據研究結果，建議強化社區精神衛生教育，建立社會支持網絡，以降低思覺失調症患者家庭照顧負荷。

Objectives: Promoting physical and mental health of the primary caregivers of patients with chronic mental illness and reducing the burden of caregivers are important issues of psychiatric social work. The objectives of the present study are to understand the care burden of primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and the factors related to the care burden.
Methods: The primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in out-patient service and day care ward of a medical center in middle region of Taiwan were enrolled for visits. The Caregivers Burden Scale was applied for structural investigation, totally 160 valid cases were collected.
Results: 95% of the caregivers had medium to intermediate heavy total care burden. The care time of caregivers was positively related to care burden; the longer time the caregiver spent on an average day, the higher the caregiver’s anxiety burden. For caregivers who were patients’mothers, the total care burden was higher than the care burden of caregivers who were patients’children, siblings or other roles. Caregivers who needed to care old people or people with illness in their families in the same time were with higher total burden, higher family interfere and higher patient dependence than those who needed not. According to the present study results, we suggest strengthening community mental health education and constructing social support network to reduce care burden of families of patients with schizophrenia.
Objectives: Promoting physical and mental health of the primary caregivers of patients with chronic mental illness and reducing the burden of caregivers are important issues of psychiatric social work. The objectives of the present study are to understand the care burden of primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia and the factors related to the care burden. Methods: The primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in out-patient service and day care ward of a medical center in middle region of Taiwan were enrolled for visits. The Caregivers Burden Scale was applied for structural investigation, totally 160 valid cases were collected. Results: 95% of the caregivers had medium to intermediate heavy total care burden. The care time of caregivers was positively related to care burden; the longer time the caregiver spent on an average day, the higher the caregiver’s anxiety burden. For caregivers who were patients’mothers, the total care burden was higher than the care burden of caregivers who were patients’children, siblings or other roles. Caregivers who needed to care old people or people with illness in their families in the same time were with higher total burden, higher family interfere and higher patient dependence than those who needed not. According to the present study results, we suggest strengthening community mental health education and constructing social support network to reduce care burden of families of patients with schizophrenia.