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Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
Published on: December 2, 2015
[Minor relatives of schizophrenia patients: burden and needs]
Monika Krautgartner1, Anne Unger, Ralf Göessler
1Universitätsklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Klinische Abteilung für Sozialpsychiatrie, Medizinische Universität Wien. monika.krautgartner@meduniwien.ac.at
Objectives:
The aim of the present study was to investigate the burden of minor relatives of schizophrenia patients and of the needs for support for the relatives.
Methods:
135 relatives of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders were assessed by using the "Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire" and the "Carers' Needs Assessment for Schizophrenia".
Results:
24.4% of the total sample (N=33) had minor (i.e. below 18 years) siblings (N=18) or children (N=15). If the patient had minor siblings, almost the half of the adult relatives reported moderate or severe problems. However, among those patients who had to take care for minor children, only a fifth reported moderate or severe problems. Among the patients' offsprings being under the age of 16 behavioural disturbances, reduced appetite and other consequences of the disease were reported frequently.
Conclusions:
These results indicate that patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders often have minor relatives in their family frequently suffering from marked burden.
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