Family burden and coping strategies in schizophrenia: are key relatives really different to other relatives?

• Published in: Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica Vol. 99; no. 1; pp. 10 - 15
• Main Authors: Magliano, L., Fadden, G., Fiorillo, A., Malangone, C., Sorrentino, D., Robinson, A., Maj, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.1999; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; coping; Cost of Illness; Family environment. Family history; Family Health; Female; Humans; Key words: schizophrenia. family. burden; Male; Medical sciences; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenic Psychology; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Social Support; Surveys and Questionnaires; Psychosis; Human; Caregiver; Risk factor; Family environment; Schizophrenia; Mental disorder; Coping; Workload
• ISSN: 0001-690X; 1600-0447
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1999.tb05379.x

Subjective and objective burden, psychiatric symptoms and coping strategies in a sample of 90 key relatives and other relatives of patients with schizophrenia. living in two European countries, were explored by means of well‐validated questionnaires. The levels of burden on key relatives did not differ significantly from those on other relatives. Moreover, the risk of developing psychiatric symptoms was similar in the two subject groups at both centres. Significant correlations were found between key relatives and other relatives concerning the adoption of emotion‐focused coping strategies. These data contrast with the current belief that family burden in schizophrenia is mainly a burden of key relatives, and they emphasize the need to provide supportive interventions for as many relatives as possible.