Study On The Burden And Influencing Factors Of The Primary Caregiver Of Mental Patients

[Background]: The study aimed to investigate the burden placed on primary caregivers of psychiatric patients living in the community,exploring the factors of burden and analysing the correlation between them.That could provide evidence on improving the quality of life with caregivers via lightening the burden on them.[Material/Methods]: In a cross-sectional study,300 caregivers who recruited from the7 th people's mental hospital of Da Lian during April to August in 2017 were collected as samples.Generic Questionnaire and Life Event Scale(LES)were used to investigated caregivers.SPSS17.0 statistics was used to analysed 2 or more groups data.To assess data,t-test,F-test,X ±S analysis of variancewere used in Normal measurement data while rank test and Mann Whitney(M(P25,P75))were used in non-normal measurement data.Using multiple linear regression to analysed the main factors which influenced the formation of life events.[Result]:1.The total questionnaire was 320,the number of valid return was 300,and the valid usable return rate was 93.75%.2.The maximum score of negative events was 49 while positive events was 24.Comparing negative events to positive events with rank test,the result showed that the score of negative events was much higher than positive events(Z= 14.730,P= 0.000.).3.The natural state of patients was not significantly associated with the burden of caregivers.4.The score of positive events between age 20 to age 39 was higher than other age groups.Furthermore,there was statistical significance between marital status and the burden.5.These findings found a negative correlation between facilitator numbers and the score of burden.In addition,a positive correlation was found between time caring and the score of negative events.The age of caregivers was negatively correlated to the score of both events.[Conclusion]:1.The burden of primary caregiver in a mental patient is independent of the patient's natural state,and the burden is mainly due to the caregiver itself.2.Negative events were as the main burden of caregivers,reducing the negative events was the essential way to lightning burden of caregivers.3.The main factors that influenced caregivers' burden were age,marital status,facilitator numbers and working hours of caregivers.Therefore,increasing the facilitator numbers of caregivers and reducing the length of working hours were the primary approach.