Affiliations 

  • 1 Hospital Sungai Buloh
  • 2 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre
Medicine & Health, 2019;14(2):189-202.
MyJurnal

Abstract

Employment among patients with schizophrenia is known to positively influence patients’ recovery. In their crucial supporting role for patients, caregivers’ burden of care and quality of life may also be influenced by the employment status of patients. This study aimed to investigate the association between employment among patients with schizophrenia and burden and quality of life (QOL) of their caregivers. It was a cross-sectional survey among the primary caregivers of patients meeting DSM-IV-TR’s diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia who were under outpatient or community care at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta. Socio-demographic data, including patients’ employment status, were collected. The Burden on Family Interview Schedule (BFS) and the 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) questionnaires were used to evaluate caregiver burden and quality of life, respectively. Altogether, 201 primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia participated. Most caregiver burden was experienced in the aspects of finance and routine family activities. There was significant association between patient employment status (p