Abstract

A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY ON COMPARISON OF BURDEN IN CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS AND MALIGNANCY

Vamsi Narayana Tanniru*, Nava Komali Kanaparthi*, Harika Puvvada*, Dr. J. Venkateswara Rao*, Dr. P. Lokeswara Reddy*, Dr. Sravani Yangalasetty, Dr. Venkata Rama Rao Nallani and Prof. Rama Rao Nadendla

.

Abstract

Background: Community based studies indicated that family and economical burden is higher in care givers of patients with chronic psychiatric illness. Globally it is estimated that lifetime prevalence of mental health disorder to be between 18.1% and 36.1% and 10.6% in India. Care givers of individuals suffering from psychiatric illness are at risk of being subjected to mental health consequences such as depression, anxiety and burnout. There is a paucity of data comparing the caregiver burden in chronic psychiatric illness and malignancy. Materials and Methods: The present study was undertaken at department of psychiatry and oncology, Government General Hospital, Guntur. Total of 150 caregivers were included in the study. 100 caregivers from psychiatry department and 50 caregivers from oncology department were enrolled in the study and data was compared by using BAS score by using EPI INFO Software. Results: There was a significant difference in the burden of psychiatric caregivers and oncology caregivers which was obtained by BAS scoring. There was an association of caregiver burden with that of care hours/day, duration of care giving.(P value =0.0128). Conclusion: Burden scores obtained in caregivers with psychiatric was high compared to oncology caregivers and duration of care giving, care hours/day had association with caregiver burden.

Keywords: Caregiver burden, psychiatry, malignancy, BAS scoring.