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Severity of illness and distress in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia: Do internalized stigma and caregiving burden mediate the relationship?
Author(s) -
Guan Ziyao,
Wang Yuwei,
Lam Louisa,
Cross Wendy,
Wiley James A.,
Huang Chongmei,
Bai Xiaoling,
Sun Mei,
Tang Siyuan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of advanced nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.948
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1365-2648
pISSN - 0309-2402
DOI - 10.1111/jan.14648
Subject(s) - distress , clinical psychology , caregiver burden , psychosocial , psychological intervention , family caregivers , mental illness , psychiatry , stigma (botany) , mediation , psychology , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , medicine , mental health , gerontology , disease , dementia , pathology , political science , law
Aims To test a multiple mediation model of internalized stigma and caregiving burden in the relationship between severity of illness and distress among family caregivers of persons living with schizophrenia. Design This is a cross‐sectional study. Methods Data were collected from a consecutive sample of 344 Chinese family caregivers of persons living with schizophrenia between April‐August 2018. Instruments used in this research included the Clinical Global Impression‐Severity of Illness, the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale, the Caregiver Burden Inventory, and the Distress Thermometer. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, the Spearman correlation, and regression analysis to estimate direct and indirect effects using bootstrap analysis. Results This research found that internalized stigma and caregiving burden can separately and sequentially mediate the relationship between severity of illness and distress. Moreover the mediation of internalized stigma plays the largest role among the multiple mediations. Conclusion The severity of illness, internalized stigma, and caregiving burden are significant factors of distress among family caregivers of persons living with schizophrenia. The future intervention studies which be designed aiming at the three factors may be beneficial for family caregivers of persons living with schizophrenia. Impact This research examined the psychosocial development of distress and indicated that interventions improving patients’ symptoms and decreasing internalized stigma and caregiving burden can help to prevent or reduce distress among family caregivers.