title: Burden Assessment, Psychiatric Morbidity, and Their Correlates in Caregivers of Patients with Intellectual Disability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intellectual disability in a child places great stress on a family and caregiver and this leads to significant socio-occupational dysfunction and impaired quality of life for caregivers. This study aimed to assess socio-demographic characteristics, burden, and psychiatric morbidity of the caregivers of persons with intellectual disability, as well as to determine the variables that correlated with burden and psychiatric morbidity.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study was carried out in an outpatient psychiatric unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital in India from October 2014 to April 2015. A total of 100 caregivers of intellectually impaired individuals were assessed for burden and psychiatric morbidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 39% of the caregivers had a high burden score, 46% perceived mild-to-moderate burden severity, and 15% perceived no to mild burden. Mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms were present in 23% and 16% had severe-to-extremely severe depressive symptoms. Mild-to-moderate anxiety symptoms were evident in 19% of caregivers and a further 19% had severe-to-extremely severe anxiety symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Routine assessment of burden and psychiatric morbidity in the caregiver will help to reduce their burden and thus help them care for their children more appropriately and efficiently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University College of Medical Sciences & GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University College of Medical Sciences & GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University College of Medical Sciences & GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gautam
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University College of Medical Sciences & GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University College of Medical Sciences & GTB Hospital, Dilshad Garden, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaur
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Caregivers / psychology; Intellectual disability; Mental disorders