Original Research Article
Year: 2017 | Month: Aug | Volume: 7 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 325-330
The Effects of Simulation Training on Identifying Cardiopulmonary Health Problems
Sleep Disturbance and Psychopathology in Caregivers of Patients Suffering from Schizophrenia
Celestine O. Mume
Department of Mental Health, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile – Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
Corresponding Author: Celestine O. Mume
ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: The issue of family burden in respect of mental disorders takes on a much greater importance when considering a developing country such as Nigeria where families form the most important system for caring for the mentally ill patients including schizophrenia. With the huge burden on caregivers, they are at a high risk of developing psychopathology and sleep disorder. This study was designed to test this hypothesis.
Materials and Methods: Three groups of subjects were used for this study. One group was made up of twenty – six consecutive patients receiving treatment for schizophrenia in our psychiatric outpatient clinic. The other group consisted of their caregivers while the third group consisted of normal healthy control subjects. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was administered to all the subjects while the 30- item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ – 30 was administered to the relatives and the control group.
Results: The relative group had poorer sleep quality compared to the control and also poorer sleep quality compared to the patients. The results further showed that the patients had poorer sleep quality when compared against the control group. Furthermore there was a significantly greater general psychopathology among the relatives when compared with the control group.
Conclusion: Caregivers of patients suffering from schizophrenia are at a high risk of having poor sleep quality and developing psychopathology. They indeed need help
Key words: Sleep quality; schizophrenia; caregiver burden; psychopathology..