title: Clinical and psychosocial factors associated with needs for care: an Arab experience with a sample of treated community-dwelling persons with schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To (1) highlight the profile of the needs for care among a sample of persons with schizophrenia, using the Camberwell Assessment of Needs (CAN-EU), in comparison with the international data; (2) assess the association of patients' needs with socio-demographics, clinical characteristics and objective quality of life (QOL); and (3) compare the perceptions of patients with those of the staff.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive outpatients in stable condition were interviewed with the CAN-EU and measures of QOL and psychopathology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 130 patients (68.5% men, mean age 36.8). The highest frequency of unmet needs was for money (29.2%). About a fifth of the subjects expressed unmet needs for six other items, including accommodation. The mean total needs was 8.67(7.1), the total met needs was 5.29 and total unmet needs was 3.38. The dimension with the highest frequency (40%) of unmet needs (functioning) is constituted by items that are related to family care at home. Staff identified significantly more needs than patients. Higher levels of needs were significantly associated with severity of psychopathology and negative affect, and not participating in outdoor activities. The mean number of needs was similar to reports from developing countries and higher than those from European countries. The met/unmet need ratio was similar to European data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite free health services and family support, a number of our treated community-dwelling persons with schizophrenia had problems meeting basic and health-care needs. The findings call for a consideration of techniques for enhancing the capability of families to cope with the care of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Kuwait University, P. O. Box 24923, 13110 Safat, Kuwait. zahid@hsc.edu.kw
authors.forename: Muhammad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zahid
authors.forename: J U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Ohaeri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018912:Arabs / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult