title: [Assessment of needs in schizophrenia patients].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To optimise appropriate planning of services, the care needs in patients with chronic mental illness, the organisms or individuals that cover these needs, and the relationships between specific needs and sociodemographic variables should be identified. This study was designed to assess needs in a population of persons with mental illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Camberwell Assessment of Need (CAN) questionnaire was used to obtain and report quantitative information on needs. A total of 246 patients diagnosed as having schizophrenic disorder and 246 staff members of public mental health services, all living and working in the province of Granada (southern Spain, n = 187) or the city of Madrid (central Spain, n = 56), completed the questionnaire. Regression analysis was used to identify correlations between needs and sociodemographic variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean needs score was 6.5; the most frequent needs were those related with daytime activities, company, psychotic symptoms, psychological distress, basic education and money management. The sociodemographic variables most closely associated with these needs were: not living with a life partner, low educational level, and receiving state benefits. The type of help these patients received was mainly from the family (informal help); public services (formal help) covered mainly clinical needs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The needs of persons with schizophrenic disorder do not differ from those of members of the more marginalised groups in Spanish society. Care provided by family members often represents a considerable burden on relatives.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada, Granada. rosalesvaro@terra.es
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rosales Varo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Torres González
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luna-Del-Castillo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baca Baldomero
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martínez Montes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012559:Schizophrenia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires