An investigation of models of illness in carers of schizophrenia patients using the Illness Perception Questionnaire

Background. Although carers' reactions to schizophrenic illness in a close family member may have important implications for the patient and for thems elves, little is known of factors that influence the way carers. respond. I n the area of physical health problems, people's models of their illness or illness representations have been found to be related to the ways they rea ct and cope with their illness. This study examines the use of a modified f orm of the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ) to investigate illness mo dels in a sample of carets of schizophrenia patients. Methods. Forty-seven carets participated. The psychometric properties of th e modified IPQ were examined, and a number of carer and patient outcomes we re investigated in relation to carer scores on the illness identity, conseq uences, control-cure and timeline subscales of the modified IPQ. These outc omes included measures of carer distress and burden, expressed emotion dime nsions, and patient functioning. Results. The modified IPQ was found to be a reliable measure of carers' per ceptions of schizophrenia. Carer functioning, the patient-carer relationshi p and patient illness characteristics were associated with different dimens ions of illness perceptions. Conclusions. The findings support the proposal that carer cognitive represe ntations of the illness may have important implications for both carer and patient outcomes in schizophrenia.