Year: 2026 | Month: April-June | Volume: 10 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 1-10
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/gijash.20260201
Caregiver Burden of Patients with Chronic Mental Illness – A Mixed Method Study
Malavika A1, Prathibha Rani S.K2, Dr. Rajani Raju3
1Department of Mental Health Nursing, 2Department of Psychiatry,
Government College of Nursing, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
Corresponding Author: Malavika. A
ABSTRACT
Background: The rising prevalence of mental illness has a profound impact on caregivers, affecting them across multiple dimensions: physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and financially. This study was aimed to assess the caregiver burden and to explore the facilitating factors and barriers in caregiving.
Objectives: Primary objective of the study were to assess the caregiver burden, secondary objective were to find the association between caregiver burden and selected socio-personal and clinical variables and to explore the facilitating factors and barriers in caregiving.
Methodology: A mixed-method approach with a sequential explanatory design were used with two phases:
Phase I used a quantitative descriptive design and recruited 150 caregivers through consecutive sampling. Zarit Burden Interview was used in assessing caregiver burden using Interview technique. Percentage, frequency and Chi square were used in analysing the data.
Phase II
From this pool of 150 caregivers, 12 caregivers who reported severe burden were recruited purposively in phase II. Data were collected with a semi structured interview guide using a face-to-face in depth interview technique. Braun and Clarks thematic analysis were used in data analysis.
Results: In Phase I, results showed that, 1.3% of caregivers had severe burden, 14.7% had moderate to severe burden, 33.3% had mild to moderate burden, and 50.7% had no or little burden. Statistically significant associations were found between caregiver burden and factors like age (p=0.024), educational status (p=0.035), marital status (p=0.035), economic status (p=0.039), physical morbidity in caregivers (p=0.013), clinical diagnosis of patients (p=0.005), duration of illness (p=0.007), frequency of recurrence of illness (p=0.001), and frequency of hospitalization (p=0.012).
In Phase II, exploration of facilitating factors and barriers revealed eight themes. Two facilitating factors were identified: Faith in God and Intake of timely medicine. Six barriers were identified: Caregiving prioritizes relationship, Secrecy surrounding illness, Accessibility of mental health services, Unstable financial situations, Fears and anxiety, and Family backing.
Conclusion: Among the caregivers, 1.3% had severe burden, 14.7% had moderate to severe burden and 33.3% had mild to moderate burden highlighting the significance of addressing the barriers uncovered in qualitative that helps in mitigating caregiver burden.
Keywords: Caregiver burden, chronic mental illness, caregivers, facilitating factors, barriers.
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