Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder causing common disability. The disorder seriously affects caregivers as well as patients. Besides living with and experiencing psychiatric symptoms of the patient, both physical and psychiatric burdens of the disorder psychologically affect caregivers. Most of the patients live with their families, and families undertake the role of providing care without getting any external professional support.

Psychological distress emerging in patients’ relatives naturally induces adverse impacts in the treatment process. As treatment process of the psychiatric disorders change, a society-based model is being accepted.

Therefore, the progression of the disease results in extended periods spent within the family beyond inpatient treatment institutions, requiring the families to assume a more active role in the treatment of the patients. Therefore, there is a growing interest for the correlation between the progression of the disease and behaviour of caregivers.

The study sample consists of care-givers of 34 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the DSM IV-TR criteria and 37 healthy voluntary subjects that are demographically matched. The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAIX I-II) scales were applied to the subjects.

In this study, it has been found that STAIX-I and STAIX-II anxiety scores are higher among caregivers. The comparison between the groups has revealed that persistence (P) scores are higher in caregivers (P=0.036). A statistically significant correlation has been found between the STAIX –I score and harm avoidance (HA) (r=0.64, P<0.001); self-transcendence (ST) (r=0.44, P=0.01) and self-directedness (SD) scores (r=-0.58, P<0.001); STAIX-II score and harm avoidance (HA) (r=0.62, P<0.001); self-transcendence (ST) (r=0.47, P=0.005) and self-directedness (SD) scores (r=-0.58, P<0.001) of TCI.  

Our results suggest that, considering their personal traits, caregivers of patients with schizophrenia should be assessed by clinicians more carefully and comprehensively in respect of anxiety.

Citation: Yılmaz ED, Deveci E, Güleç H, Gençer AG, Ünal Ö, Koçer E, et (a2l.014) Correlation between Anxiety and Personality in Caregivers for Patients with Schizophrenia. J Psychiatry 17:130.

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