title: Factors associated with caregiver psychological distress in chronic schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia experience increased levels of psychological distress. This study investigated the impact of caring for patients with chronic schizophrenia on the mental health status of the caregivers and described the relationship between various socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and caregiving psychological distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out at the Psychiatric Hospital of Athens. The Symptom Check List Revised (SCL-90-R) was administered to 87 caregivers of chronic schizophrenia patients and 90 healthy controls. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was administered to schizophrenia patients in order to assess illness severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The group of caregivers scored higher on the majority of symptom dimensions of the SCL-90-R than the control group. Clinical features of schizophrenia, i.e. duration of illness and PANSS positive and negative symptoms significantly predicted caregiving psychological distress. Caregivers' and patients' socio-demographic characteristics were not associated with caregivers' distress, with the exception of caregivers' sex: female caregivers experienced significantly higher levels of psychological distress than males.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that clinical features of schizophrenia influence distress levels in caregivers of patients with chronic schizophrenia. The stronger predictors of distress appear to be female caregiver's gender, duration of illness as well as positive and negative symptomatology.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Hospital of Athens Dafni, 7, Metamorfoseos str., Halandri, 152 34, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitsonis
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Voussoura
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dimopoulos
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Psarra
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kararizou
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Latzouraki
authors.forename: Iannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zervas
authors.forename: Maria-Nefeli
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Katsanou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000451:nursing*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*