Living with schizophrenia: caring for a person with a severe mental illness

Data from a survey of a total population of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were used to examine the relationship between patient behaviours and the experience of caregiving. Carers were more distressed by depressed behaviours in the patient than any other type of behaviour, including behaviour associated with florid psychotic episodes. The number of patient needs met by the caregiver was also associated with a negative appraisal of caregiving. A comparison of patients who were living with an informal carer and those who were living alone or in hostel accommodation showed that the former group were less likely than the latter to have been either an inpatient or a day patient during the previous year.