1. Family burden and coping strategies in schizophrenia: are key relatives really different to other relatives?
- Author
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Andrea Fiorillo, Mario Maj, A. Robinson, Lorenza Magliano, Gráinne Fadden, D. Sorrentino, Claudio Malangone, Magliano, Lorenza, Fadden, G, Fiorillo, Andrea, Malangone, C, Sorrentino, D, Robinson, A, and Maj, Mario
- Subjects
Adult ,Family Health ,Male ,Coping (psychology) ,Psychosis ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Social Support ,medicine.disease ,coping strategies ,Supportive interventions ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Cost of Illness ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Adaptation, Psychological ,medicine ,Schizophrenia ,Humans ,Female ,Schizophrenic Psychology ,Psychology ,Psychiatry ,key-relative - Abstract
Subjective and objective burden, psychiatric symptoms and coping strategies in a sample of 90 key relatives and other relatives of patients with schizophrenia, living in two European countries, were explored by means of well-validated questionnaires. The levels of burden on key relatives did not differ significantly from those on other relatives. Moreover, the risk of developing psychiatric symptoms was similar in the two subject groups at both centres. Significant correlations were found between key relatives and other relatives concerning the adoption of emotion-focused coping strategies. These data contrast with the current belief that family burden in schizophrenia is mainly a burden of key relatives, and they emphasize the need to provide supportive interventions for as many relatives as possible.
- Published
- 1999