Il Caregiver Burden della persona con diagnosi di Schizofrenia: studio multicentrico

IntroductionLiving closely to a person with schizophrenia is extremely complex and exposes informal caregivers to an increased risk of developing severe Burden levels. Despite the importance of the phenomenon, there are few insights in the Italian scenario. The aim of the study is to measure the burden level and associated sociodemographic characteristics in a sample of informal caregivers of people with schizophrenic disorders.Methods An observational, descriptive multicenter study was conducted. The Italian version of the Perceived Family Burden Scale (I-MFBBS) was administered to a sample of informal caregivers at the Psycho-Social Centres of the ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo (San Paolo Hospital) in Milan, the ASST in Crema, Melegnano-Martesana, Cremona, and the associations "Itaca" and "La Lente" in Cernusco sul Naviglio.Results 106 caregivers participated in the study with a mean score of 116/200. Unemployed caregivers, parents and carers with at least 5 years of caregiving experience scored higher levels of Burden (p<0.05).ConclusionsThe scale of the Caregiver Burden phenomenon has been confirmed on a large scale. This suggests that the nursing care of the schizophrenic patient on a territorial level is necessarily accompanied bycontinuous monitoring and support activities of the caregiver.

Premessa: Vivere a stretto contatto con una persona affetta da schizofrenia è estremamente complesso ed espone i caregiver informali ad un aumentato rischio di sviluppare elevati livelli di Burden. Nonostante la rilevanza del fenomeno, gli approfondimenti nel panorama italiano sono scarsi. Scopo: Misurare il livello di Burden e le caratteristiche sociodemografiche a esso associate in un campione di caregiver informali di persone affette da disturbo schizofrenico. Metodi e Strumenti: E’ stato condotto uno studio osservazionale, descrittivo multicentrico; la versione italiana della Perceived Family Burden Scale (I-MFBBS) è stata somministrata a un campione di caregiver informali presso i Centri Psico Sociali delle ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo (presidio San Paolo) di Milano, le ASST di Crema, Melegnano-Martesana, Cremona, e delle associazioni “Itaca” e “La Lente” di Cernusco sul Naviglio (Mi). Risultati: 106 caregiver hanno partecipato allo studio presentando un punteggio mediano di Burden pari a 116/200; maggiori livelli di Burden sono stati ottenuti dai caregiver disoccupati, da chi riveste il ruolo di genitore e con almeno 5 anni di esperienza di caregiving (p<0.05). Discussione e Conclusioni: La dimensione del fenomeno del Caregiver Burden è stata confermata su larga scala; ciò suggerisce che la presa in carico della persona affetta da schizofrenia da parte degli infermieri a livello territoriale sia necessariamente accompagnata da un continuo monitoraggio e attività di supporto del caregiver. Abstract Background: Living closely with a person suffering from schizophrenia is extremely complex and exposes informal caregivers to an increased risk of developing severe burden. Notwithstanding the importance of the phenomenon, there are few studies in the Italian setting. Aim: To measure the levels of Burden and the associated socio-demographic characteristics in a sample of informal caregivers of people with schizophrenia. Methods: An observational, descriptive multicentre study was conducted; the Italian version of the Perceived Family Burden Scale (I-MFBBS) was administered to a sample of informal caregivers at the Psychosocial Centres of the ASSTs of Santi Paolo e Carlo (hospital San Paolo, Milan), Crema, Melegnano-Martesana, Cremona and the associations "Itaca" and "La Lente" of Cernusco sul Naviglio (Mi). Results: 106 caregivers participated in the study presenting a median Burden score of 116/200; higher Burden levels were detected in unemployed caregivers, those with children, and those with 5 or more years of caregiving experience (p<0.05). Discussion and Conclusions: the results suggest that the caregiving of the person with schizophrenia by nurses on the territory should be accompanied by continuous monitoring and support of the caregivers' activities.