[Validating the efficacy of a group intervention program on the quality of life of depressed patient's spouses]. / Uberprüfung der Wirksamkeit eines neu entwickelten Gruppeninterventionsprogramms auf die Lebensqualität von Angehörigen depressiv Erkrankter.

A new group intervention program has been assessed, rating its ability to increase the quality of life in partners of patients suffering under depression. Over a period of six months 66 subjects participated in an intervention group for a total of twelve sessions. The control group consisted of 50 persons, and quality of life was assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF. The five WHOLQOL domains were used as independent variables in random-effects regression models measuring the time effect. Although the quality of life of the subjects was below that of the general population at the beginning of the intervention, the study resulted in no significant improvement in quality of life. In contrast, satisfaction of participants with the intervention was high.

[A group intervention for spouses of patients with depression - is it effective?]. / Gruppenintervention zur unterstützung von partnerndepressiv erkrankter - eine lohnende massnahme?

OBJECTIVE: Spouses of patients with depression have an elevated risk to develop an affective disorder themselves. We evaluate whether a group intervention program for spouses of patients with depression does improve participants' depressive and anxiety symptoms. METHODS: 66 spouses participated in a six months intervention with 12 group sessions. 50 nonparticipants were included as a control group. We measured depressive and anxiety symptoms with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) at the beginning and the end as well as 3 and 9 months after the intervention. RESULTS: The intervention did not cause any improvement with regard to BDI and BAI scores. Scores in the BDI and BAI were normal in most participants before the intervention. Regardless, satisfaction with the program among participants was very high. CONCLUSION: The influence of the intervention concept on the wanting participation of more severely affected spouses is discussed and adaptations of the program are proposed.

[Illness related costs for spouses of patients suffering from a mental illness: results of a study with repeated measurements]. / Erkrankungsbedingte Kosten für Partner psychisch Kranker: Ergebnisse einer Mehrfacherhebung.

OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study is the documentation of illness-associated costs for spouses, whose relative is suffering from a mental illness. METHOD: Over a period of 12 month, 117 spouses of patients who are suffering from schizophrenia, depression or anxiety disorders repeatedly filled in a standardized questionnaire about illness related expenses and financial losses. RESULTS: 90 % of the spouses reported direct cash expenditures on behalf of the patients' illness. On average, these costs amounted to yearly expenditures of euro 1146 (range: euro 0 - 11 910). Costs did not differ significantly across types of illness and income was not found to be a significant covariate. CONCLUSIONS: Spouses reported substantial direct cash expenditures on behalf of the patients' illness. Since these expenditures varied to a large extent over the three points of measurement, repeated measurement designs seem to be a prerequisite for a reliable assessment of illness-associated costs. Since living together with a mentally ill partner is associated with an increased risk of developing a burden-related psychiatric illness for spouses themselves which may lead to double costs and double decreases in income, these aspects should be taken into consideration when planning changes in health policy.

Depressive disorders in spouses of mentally ill patients.

BACKGROUND: According to the literature on stress and coping, the burden of caregiving to a mentally ill partner might have an impact on the mental health of the spouse. METHOD: As part of a study on the burden of caregiving to mentally ill family members, a structured psychiatric interview (DIA-X-M-CIDI) was conducted with spouses of patients suffering from depression, anxiety disorders, or schizophrenia (n = 151). RESULTS: Covarying with the partner's gender and the severity of the patient's illness a significantly increased prevalence of depressive disorders could be found. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric patients' partners are at a high risk of developing a depressive disorder. It appears necessary to develop special interventions for spouses reducing stress and the risk of getting depressed.