Coping and Burden of Indonesian Family Caregivers Caring for Persons with Schizophrenia

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationship between coping and burden of Indonesian family caregivers caring for persons with schizophrenia. Materials and methods: The study was a correlational design. Eighty-eight subjects were selected from the outpatient department of the West Java Province Mental Hospital. Data were collected with self-report questionnaires using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and the Jalowiec Coping Scale (JCS). Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between coping and burden. Two dimensions of burden were analyzed using Spearman’s rho. Results: The findings showed that 43.2% of the subjects perceived burden as being at a moderate level. The coping method most often used was optimistic coping, followed by self-reliance coping, confrontative coping, and supportant coping. There was significant positive correlations between evasive coping, fatalistic coping, and emotive coping and perceived burden (r = 0.50, r = 0.57, r = 0.38; p < 0.01), while confrontative coping, optimistic coping, and supportant coping were significantly negatively correlated with perceived burden (r = -0.40, r = -0.31, r = -0.36; p < 0.01). There were no significant correlations between palliative coping or self-reliant coping, and burden. Conclusion: This study indicates that caregivers caring for persons with schizophrenia should be taught effective coping for dealing with the problems, such as problem-solving skills and how to maintain an optimistic attitude when dealing with difficult patients, and appropriate support for family caregivers should be available when required.

Keywords

• coping
• burden
• family caregivers
• schizophrenia