Anxiety in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia during admission at the Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry.

Abstract

Objective : The purpose of study was to explore the level of anxiety and its associated factors in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia during admission at the Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry.

Study design : Cross-sectional descriptive study.

Study site : The Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry.

Participants/ : One hundred and twenty caregivers of patients with schizophrenia

Methods : admitted at the Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry were recruited by stratified random sampling. Their general data were collected using questionnaires. Anxiety was measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Univariate analysis was done using independent T-test or One-way ANOVA as appropriate. Multiple Linear Regression Model was used for multivariate analysis.

Results : Caregivers had mean and SD of anxiety score of 38.13 and 9.89, respectively. Factors associated with increased anxiety score, examined by multiple linear regression, were longer duration of care (b = 2.82, SE = 0.85, p = 0.001) and fewer times of admission (b = -3.82, SE =1.17, p = 0.001)

Conclusions : Caregivers of patients had moderately high score of anxiety, especially those who took care of patients for a long time and whose patients had fewer numbers of admissions. The findings can be used by the institute to develop a program to prevent anxiety among such group.