RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Providing treatment and educational services for consumers and their caregivers is more effective if those services are implemented based on their characteristics and differences. To partly address this objective, the present study aimed to describe and compare characteristics and differences of chronic hospitalized and household maintained consumers and their caregivers who were regular users of educational and rehabilitation programs of the Iranian Society Supporting Individuals with Schizophrenia (ISSIS) in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty one consumers were evaluated based on demographics, and clinical and symptom-related characteristics. Their caregivers (n = 231) were independently evaluated based on their knowledge on schizophrenia, family function, burden, and availability of social services and support for them. Data were analyzed by performing independent sample t-test and Mann-Whitney U. RESULTS: The study findings revealed hospitalized consumers were older, had longer length of illness, greater severity of positive and negative symptoms and lower efficacy in basic life skills in comparison with household maintained consumers. The caregivers of the hospitalized consumers had greater objective and subjective burdens and lower knowledge on schizophrenia in comparison with caregivers of household maintained consumers. While household maintained consumers had more access to medical insurance, their caregivers had more access to the supportive organizations, more availability of substitute caregiver and assistant caregiver compared with caregivers of hospitalized consumers. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest the need to promote specific interventions and treatment programs for Iranian consumers and their caregivers based on their characteristics and differences due to schizophrenia. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: None.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric hospitalization of patients imposes heavy burdens on caregivers, but little is known about this issue in Iran. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with psychiatric hospitalization of patients with schizophrenia who were the regular clients for the educational programs of The Iranian Society for Supporting Individuals with Schizophrenia (ISSIS) in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: 231 male and female study subjects and 231 of their caregivers participated in the study. The study subjects were independently assessed in demographics, clinical and symptom-related characteristics and basic life skills domains. Their caregivers were assessed in domains of knowledge on schizophrenia, burden, social support, family function, and the patterns of relationships with their patients and the role of health and supportive services. Data were analyzed by performing logistic regression model. RESULTS: Old age, low level of education, unemployment, greater severity of positive and negative symptoms, poor basic life skills among subjects, and objective family burden, inadequate knowledge on schizophrenia, low perceived social support and lack of medical insurance among caregivers were the most important factors associated with psychiatric hospitalization among the clients. CONCLUSIONS: Some factors originated in Iranian patients and their caregivers could cause patients' pathways to psychiatric hospitalization. Although the study results did not establish causation, based on the findings, psychoeducational interventions may reduce schizophrenia referral and lower the rate of need to inpatient services in Iran. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: None.