Cross sectional study on burden and psychiatric morbidity in the caregivers of patients of major psychiatric illness in a tertiary healthcare centre

Introduction: Psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar affective disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and dementia can cause significant burden to patient as well as family members. About 14% of the global burden of disease is attributed to neuropsychiatric disorders. Half of the patients with psychiatric illness reported disability in all three domains of work, social, and family life. Aims: (1) To study if caring for patients with major psychiatric illness will lead to significant caregiver's burden. (2) To find the association between caregiver's burden and psychiatric morbidity among the caregivers. Materials and Methods: It is a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital after obtaining institutional ethical clearance. One hundred caregivers of outpatients diagnosed with major psychiatric illness including schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, dementia, and major depressive disorder for a period not