The impact of professional and social network support on the burden of families of patients with schizophrenia in Italy.
OBJECTIVE
(a) To explore burden related to caregiving and support received from professionals and social network in relatives of patients with schizophrenia in Northern, Central and Southern Italy; and (b) to test whether a higher level of family burden is associated with a lower level of professional and social network support.


METHODS
Seven hundred and nine patients with schizophrenia and their key-relatives were consecutively recruited in 30 Italian mental health departments. Data were collected on: (a) patients' clinical status and levels of disability; (b) relatives' burden, social and professional support; (c) interventions received by patients and their families.


RESULTS
Family burden was found lower in Northern Italy. However, after controlling for psychosocial interventions, differences in family burden among the three geographical areas disappeared. Family burden was associated with patients' levels of disability and manic/hostility symptoms, and with professional and social network support received by the family.


CONCLUSIONS
Professional and social network support represent crucial resources to reduce family burden in schizophrenia.
Magliano
L
L
Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Italy. lorenzo.magliano@unina2.it
Marasco
C
C
Fiorillo
A
A
Malangone
C
C
Guarneri
M
M
Maj
M
M
D000328:Adult; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires