Assessment of Burden of Spouses of Patients Diagnosed with Schizophrenia Undergoing Treatment at Psychiatric Hospital

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder that significantly affects not only the individual diagnosed but also the family members responsible for providing long-term care. Among family caregivers, spouses often experience considerable emotional, psychological, social, and financial burden because of prolonged caregiving responsibilities. Limited evidence is available regarding the burden experienced by spouses of individuals with schizophrenia in the Kashmir region. In this quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study among 100 spouses of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia attending the outpatient department of IMHANS-K, Srinagar., participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using a structured demographic questionnaire and the standardised Burden Assessment Scale through face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, were used to summarise participant characteristics. Associations between caregiver burden and schizophrenia subtype were analysed using the Chisquare test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. The majority of caregivers (52%) belonged to the 21-40 years age group; 82 percent were males; and 75 percent resided in rural areas. Most patients had paranoid schizophrenia (40%), followed by undifferentiated schizophrenia (35%) and hebephrenic schizophrenia (25%). Overall, 89 percent spouses experienced severe caregiver burden, 7 percent reported moderate burden, and only 4 percent experienced mild burden. A statistically significant association was observed between the type of schizophrenia and the severity of caregiver burden (p = 0.001), with spouses of individuals diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia reporting the highest proportion of severe burden. The findings highlight the need for routine caregiver burden assessment, structured psychological education, psychological counselling, and family-based support interventions within psychiatric services. Strengthening caregiver support may improve treatment adherence, reduce caregiver distress, and enhance patient outcomes.