Assessment of overload levels in primary caregivers of people with schizophrenia through a psychoeducation program

Abstract

Introduction: As of 2012, the San Lázaro Psychiatric Hospital closes the hospitalization service. The proposal of this institution was to implement a psychoeducation program aimed at the family for the management of patients with mental disorders. The involvement of primary caregivers in the management of patients with chronic mental disorders, including schizophrenia; however, it made visible various levels of overload. Objective: To determine the overload levels in primary caregivers, and the effects attributable to the Support Clinic Program for Relatives of People with Schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: A pre- and post-intervention evaluation study was designed in 108 selected files to extract the available sociodemographic variables and the overload scores obtained with the Zarit Caregiver Overload Scale. The results were described and analyzed using the McNemar test. Results: The majority of caregivers were women 67.5%. The most frequent relationship was that of parents with 44.4% followed by siblings 25.9%. The most common age range was 51-60 years. 71.1% of the caregivers presented some type of overload. For the evaluation of the changes in the levels of overload before and after the intervention, the McNemar test was applied, the result of which was 27.4, showing a significant difference with a value of p <0.005. Conclusion: Intervention with primary caregivers, through psychoeducational programs, can be a viable option to reduce overload levels in relatives of people with schizophrenia.