Burden and Needs of Primary Family Caregivers of Schizophrenic Patients: A Qualitative Study

Background: Caregivers need to look after all the requirements of the mentally ill person which become very tiresome and challenging. The study aimed to explore burden and needs of primary family caregivers of schizophrenic patients. Methodology: A qualitative study was conducted using phenomenological design. A total of 17 primary family caregivers of schizophrenic patients from Psychiatric Department of Gauhati Medical College & Hospital, Guwahati were selected using purposive sampling technique. Data were collected by conducting one to one interview using semi-structured interview schedule. Data analysis was done by thematic analysis. Result: Five major themes and twenty sub-themes were identified. The five major themes were: Challenges encountered, Psychological impact, Unpleasant experiences, Requirements of caregivers and Emotional impact. Conclusion: The findings of the present study clearly confirmed that the family caregivers faced a lot of challenges while caring for the individual with schizophrenia. Key words: Burden of caregivers, needs of caregivers, schizophrenia patients, family caregivers.