Burden and coping strategies in mothers of patients with schizophrenia in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was conducted to identify factors contributing to burden of care in 57 mothers caring for patients with schizophrenia.


METHODS
Members of the Federation of Families of People with Mental Illness in Nagasaki Prefecture were evaluated using well-validated scales to evaluate burden of care (eight-item short version of the Japanese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview), general health status (General Health Questionnaire 12-item version), difficulty in life, coping strategies, emotional support, and understanding of mental illness and disorders.


RESULTS
Burden of care was significantly associated with general health status and difficulty in life.


CONCLUSIONS
On multiple regression it was found that 'social interests' and 'resignation', both of which are the subscales of coping strategies, exerted significant and independent effects with respect to burden of care.
Hanzawa
Setsuko
S
School of Nursing, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan. hanzawa@jichi.ac.jp
Tanaka
Goro
G
Inadomi
Hiroyuki
H
Urata
Minoru
M
Ohta
Yasuyuki
Y
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012944:Social Support