EXPRESSED EMOTIONS, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND RESILIENCE IN CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA AND BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER – A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

• Background

Schizophrenia and Bipolar Affective Disorder (BPAD) are common major mental disorders which cause significant distress in environmental, circumstantial and other factors. The consequences of psychopathology usually have long lasting constraints on the level of functioning and preventing patients from recovering to their premorbid state. Hence the study is conducted to compare the caregiver expressed emotion, social support and resilience in caregivers of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

• Materials and methods

Data were collected from Psychiatry Out Patient Department, regarding socio-demographic characteristics followed by family emotional involvement and criticism scale; inter personal social support questionnaire and family assessment resilience scale. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation and unpaired t-test were applied. Spearman correlation was used to find correlation.

• Results

Present study shows that among BPAD group majority 55 patients (73.3%) were males and among Schizophrenia group majority 43 patients (57.3%) were males; p value=0.01, as p value is <0.05, shows statistical significant. Correlation between expressed emotions, social support and resilience among care givers of Schizophrenia group and BPAD group shows statistical significance (p value is <0.001).

• Conclusion

This study concludes that there is significance between expressed emotions, social support and resilience among care givers of both Schizophrenia as well as BPAD people. Study shows that one of most important resources that can help in improvement of the Schizophrenia as well as BPAD people is Social support and resilience which helps in maintaining the communication among the family members which finally improves the family bonding that ultimately leads to decrease the stress of the family.