CARE-GIVING AND THE IMPACT ON CARERS OF A COMMUNITY MENTAL-HEALTH-SERVICE - PRISM PSYCHOSIS STUDY 6

Background We examined caregiving activities in a population-based sam ple of carers of sufferers from psychotic disorders; putative determin ants of care-giving; and changes in care-giving in an intensive commun ity psychiatric service.Methods In the PRiSM interview sample 170 peop le had a carer; 124 were interviewed. Care-giving activities, dissatis faction with these, and carers General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) scor es were measured. Patient and illness characteristics were examined as predictors of the carer measures. The carer measures were reassessed for 62 carers after two years in two service sectors, one with an inte nsive community service, the other with a standard service. Results Ov erall, 36% of carers were engaged in no, or only occasional caregiving activities. Fifty per cent expressed no dissatisfaction with their ca re-giving role. Patient and illness characteristics predicted care-giv ing poorly. Carers in the intensive community treatment sector did not experience significantly different care-giving demands or distress th an those in the standard se Conclusions A significant proportion of ca rers of sufferers from psychosis do not engage in common care-giving a ctivities, and are not dissatisfied with their role. An intensive comm unity service did not affect the impact of the illness on carers.