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Burden experienced by care-givers of persons with bipolar affective disorder
D Perlick1, J F Clarkin, J Sirey
1Northeast Program Evaluation Center, West Haven, VAMC, CT 06516, USA.
Background:
Family members of patients with schizophrenia frequently report burdens associated with caring for their relatives.
Aims:
We evaluate the impact of illness beliefs on the burden reported by family care-givers of people with bipolar illness.
Method:
The multivariate relationships between patient symptomatology and family illness beliefs and report of burden were examined at baseline among care-givers of 266 patients with Research Diagnostic Criteria-diagnosed bipolar illness who were subsequently followed for 15 months.
Results:
At baseline, 93% of care-givers reported moderate or greater distress in at least one burden domain. As a group, care-giver illness beliefs (illness awareness, perception of patient and family control) explained an additional 18-28% of variance in burden experienced beyond the effects of the patient's clinical state and history.
Conclusions:
Care-givers of patients with bipolar illness report widespread burden that is influenced by beliefs about the illness.