Highlights
- •The increase in deinstitutionalization and community-based mental health services has increased the roles and responsibilities of primary caregiver of schizophrenia.
- •Meeting the needs and enhancing the coping strategies of the primary caregivers has the potential to alleviate the suffering of the patient and the caregiver.
Abstract
Introduction
Deinstitutionalization and rising psychiatric care in society have led to an increase
in the role of caregivers of persons diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Objective
The objective of this systematic review was to identify and synthesize qualitative
research findings that explored the needs, challenges, and coping strategies among
the primary caregivers of a schizophrenia patient.
Methodology
The electronic databases namely PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health
Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and ClinicalKey were
searched to identify relevant articles published from 2005 to October 2021. The quality
of the included articles was independently appraised by two reviewers using Walsh
and Downe criteria and was analysed thematically. The meta-synthesis was modelled
on Lucas framework.
Results
The richness of information across 38 papers involving 543 participants was noteworthy.
The needs of the primary caregivers were rehabilitation and vocational centre, information
and education, self-help groups, augmented healthcare services, and communication
and collaboration. The challenges reported were treatment expenses, bizarre beliefs,
self and other directed harm and violence, therapeutic noncompliance, onerous caregiving
task, crumbling family relations, misconception and discrimination, and self-stigmatization.
The coping strategies adopted were problem-focused coping, emotional coping, behavioural
coping, coping through social support, religious coping and cognitive reappraisal.
Conclusion
The primary caregivers provide unparalleled service to the health system and for the
patient. The healthcare providers need to give undue attention to the unmet needs
and challenges of the caregivers, which would benefit the health system by enabling
the caregivers in providing long-term care for the schizophrenic.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 08, 2022
Accepted:
September 3,
2022
Received in revised form:
August 4,
2022
Received:
February 12,
2022
Identification
Copyright
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