title: Burden of care on caregivers of schizophrenia patients: a correlation to personality and coping.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizophrenia is a mental disorder where the caregivers are likely to face increasing levels of burden and stress. The present study aims to explore the relation between burden of care on the caregivers of schizophrenic patients with various psychological parameters including their coping strategies, personality type, overall quality of life and socio-demographic details.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants included in the study (n=110) were administered a socio-demographic data sheet and questionnaires to assess their personality type, burden, quality of life, and coping mechanisms of having a schizophrenic in the family. These questionnaires were administered in individual setting. Their informed consent was taken prior to the administration of tools and their privacy was taken care of. The data obtained was analysed statistically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the caregivers were females. The caregivers were observed to have moderate and high levels of burden. Burden on the caregivers showed a significant correlation with psychoticism and their overall quality of life. A significant correlation was seen between the levels of coping and extrovert type of personality, and also with the environmental health of the caregivers. Caregivers belonging to nuclear families coped better than those of joint families.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study concludes that certain personality traits like psychoticism and certain social traits such as living in joint families can increase the risk of caregiver burden in looking after family members suffering from schizophrenia. A need for psychological assistance for the vulnerable caregivers to help them reduce the burden levels and employ positive coping strategies has, therefore, been emphasized in our study.
authors.affiliation: Intern, Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College (A Constituent College of Manipal University) , Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Disha
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Geriani
authors.affiliation: Intern, Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College (A Constituent College of Manipal University) , Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Kochukarottil Satish Babu
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Savithry
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College (A Constituent College of Manipal University) , Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Seemanthini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shivakumar
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College (A Constituent College of Manipal University) , Mangalore, India .
authors.forename: Tanuj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanchan
keywords: Mental illnesses; Psychiatry; Type of personality