Psychological impact on caregivers traumatized by the violent behavior of a family member with schizophrenia.

Background: A combination of factors such as substance abuse problems, medication noncompliance, and insufficient insight are generally known to increase the risk of violent behavior. However, little is known regarding the psychological impact on caregivers who are traumatized by the violent behavior of a family member with schizophrenia. Therefore, we carried out an investigation to measure this impact.

Study of understanding the internalized stigma of schizophrenia in psychiatric nurses in Japan.

Aim:  'Internalized stigma' is a construct that reflects the degree to which a person accepts beliefs endorsed by society about mental illness. Among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, internalized stigma has been found to moderate the associations between insight and social function, hope, and self-esteem. Among families of patients with schizophrenia, internalized stigma may not only hinder help-seeking but also result in the families attempting to provide care themselves, without assistance from mental health services.

Caregiver burden and coping strategies for patients with schizophrenia: comparison between Japan and Korea.

Aim: With the current shift to community-centered mental health services, considerable research on the family burden of caring for patients with schizophrenia has been conducted in developed countries. However, there has been no investigation of families with Japanese or Korean sociocultural backgrounds. Therefore, the present study compared the caregiver burden and coping strategies of families of patients with schizophrenia in Japan and Korea in order to elucidate similarities and differences in the sociocultural factors that affect the care experience of families in Northeast Asia.

Burden and coping strategies in mothers of patients with schizophrenia in Japan.

Aim: The present study was conducted to identify factors contributing to burden of care in 57 mothers caring for patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: Members of the Federation of Families of People with Mental Illness in Nagasaki Prefecture were evaluated using well-validated scales to evaluate burden of care (eight-item short version of the Japanese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview), general health status (General Health Questionnaire 12-item version), difficulty in life, coping strategies, emotional support, and understanding of mental illness and disorders.

Results: Burden of care was significantly associated with general health status and difficulty in life.