Psychiatric Morbidity Among Caregivers of Psychiatric Patients Admitted in Psychiatric Ward

Abstract

Objective: To determine the psychiatric morbidity among the caregivers of psychiatric patients admitted in the psychiatry ward of a tertiary care hospital.

Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad Pakistan, from Jan to Jun 2018.

Methodology: The sample population comprised of 150 caregivers of psychiatric patients admitted at a tertiary care hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan. Psychiatric morbidity was assessed by using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ12) among the caregivers of psychiatric patients admitted in the ward for more than one week. Relationship of age, gender, marital status, education, duration of psychiatric illness, duration of current admission and tobacco smoking was assessed with the presence of psychiatric morbidity among the caregivers of psychiatric inpatients.

Results: Out of 150 caregivers screened, 107 (71.3%) showed the presence of psychiatric morbidity while 43 (28.7%) had no psychiatric morbidity. After statistical analysis, we found that female gender and current duration of admission had significant association with the presence of psychiatric morbidity among the caregivers of psychiatric patients admitted in ward (p-value<0.05).

Conclusion: This study showed a high frequency of psychiatric morbidity among the caregivers of psychiatric patients admitted in ward. Routine screening for psychiatric morbidity should be done among the caregivers of psychiatric patients and special attention should be paid to the female caregivers and to those who have a long stay with patients in the hospital.