The Burden of Caregivers in Caring for Schizophrenic Patients: A Review

Abstract

Schizophrenia, a chronic mental disorder that affects millions of people around the world, not only affects sufferers but also the families or caregivers who care for them. This study aims to explore the burden experienced by caregivers in caring for schizophrenia patients through a comprehensive literature review. The method used is a systematic literature review by analyzing related research articles from various scientific journals over the last 10 years (2014-2024). The results of this literature review identified caregiver demographic characteristics such as age, gender, duration of care, relationship with the patient, education, employment, and income. Apart from that, we found a description of the burden experienced by caregivers in caring for schizophrenia patients, including financial burdens related to high treatment costs, physical burdens such as fatigue and health problems, social burdens in the form of stigma and social isolation, emotional burdens such as stress, anxiety and worries about the future. in front of the patient, as well as the burden of care which includes responsibility for meeting the patient's daily needs. This research provides in-depth insight into the burden faced by caregivers in caring for schizophrenia patients.