Caregiver burden and disability in somatization disorder.

Objective: Authors assessed disability and caregiver burden in patients with somatization disorder (SOM-D), and compared it with that in patients with schizophrenia and chronic depression.

Methods: The sample consisted of 30 patients diagnosed as SOM-D as per ICD 10 Diagnostic Criteria for Research (ICD-10-DCR), and 30 age- and gender-matched patients each of schizophrenia and depression, who served as comparison groups. Disability and caregiver burden were assessed using WHO's Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO-DAS) and the Family Burden Assessment Schedule (FBAS) respectively. Functioning and severity of illness were assessed on the Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF) and Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI) respectively.

Results: Severity of illness in patients with SOM-D was comparable to that in the comparison groups. Patients with SOM-D scored higher on total disability on WHO-DAS than the patients with schizophrenia and depression, though scores on family burden were comparable. Disability in patients with SOM-D was more in females, less educated, older and those working at home, compared to the other demographic groups.

Conclusion: Patients with SOM-D suffer considerable disability due to illness and impose significant burden on their caregivers, comparable to that seen in severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia and chronic depression.