title: Comparative study of the experience of caregiving in bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia are disabling illnesses and place a considerable degree of burden on the caregivers. Many studies from India have measured the burden of care in schizophrenia and some studies have measured the burden experienced by the caregivers of bipolar affective disorder. Few studies have compared this variable in these disorders. Experience of caregiving is a broader concept that takes into consideration both the negative and positive appraisal of the caregiving. However, no study from India has compared the experience of caregiving in bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the experience of caregiving in a group of caregivers of bipolar patients and compare the same with caregivers of patients with schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients with a diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder and 70 with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were selected for the present study. Patients were assessed on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Young Mania Rating Scale and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale depending upon their diagnosis. They were also assessed on the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. Caregivers of the patients were assessed on the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Experience of Caregiving Inventory (ECI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The maximum ECI score was seen in the domain of handling 'difficult behaviour' in both the groups. Compared to caregivers of patients with bipolar affective disorder, caregivers of patients with schizophrenia had overall more positive and negative appraisal of caregiving experience while caring for their ill relatives. The difference reached significant levels for all domains but for the domains of 'effects on family', 'need for back-up' and 'good aspect of relationship'. There were significant differences too for the total positive personal experience sub-score. There was a significant positive correlation between the negative and positive caregiving experience score for both schizophrenia and bipolar groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The caregivers of both bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia appraise the caregiving negatively, while at the same time appraising some positive aspects of it. Caregivers of schizophrenia patients appraise caregiving more negatively than those of bipolar affective disorder patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India. drsandeepg2002@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.forename: Subho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chakrabarti
authors.forename: Munish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: Ajit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avasthi
authors.forename: Parmanand
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kulhara
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Nitasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khehra
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires