Caregiver Burden, Psychological Distress and Self-esteem among Relative Caregivers of Mentally Ill Patients in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution

Abstract

Caregiver burden affects the health status of caregivers, especially those caring for
mentally ill patients. This cross-sectional study investigated caregiver burden,
psychological distress, and self-esteem in a sample of 450 caregivers of mentally
ill patients attending an outpatient psychiatric clinic of a Nigerian tertiary health
institution. The Zarit Burden scale, General Health questionnaire, and Rosenberg
Self-esteem scale were used for data collection. Data analysis was done with
Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 25.0). Means, standard
deviations, and percentages were used for descriptive data analysis. Chi-square
tests were performed to determine the relationships between variables.
Respondents’ age ranged between 18 to 61years, with a mean of 38.6 ±11.8 years.
Up to 54.7 % were females, and 12.7 % showed signs of severe caregiver burden.
Psychological distress was present in 38.2 % of them, and 35.3 % had low self-
esteem. They were the caregivers of patients with schizophrenia (40.9%),
depression (25.6%), bipolar disorder (13.3%), substance use disorder (10.9%), and
intellectual disability (9.3%). Gender was significantly associated with the burden
of care,2=7.71; P= 0.05, and self-esteem 2=9.95; P= 0.05. Equally, the association
between age and psychological distress was significant, 2=70.8; P= 0.005. The
study revealed the presence of caregiver burden, psychological distress, and low
self-esteem among caregivers of mentally ill patients in Nigeria. The government
and health professionals need to develop programmes that promote the
psychological well-being of patients’ caregivers.