Reflections of worth: Exploring self-esteem in caregivers of mentally ill individuals

Objectives Family caregivers are invaluable partners of healthcare professionals in helping individuals suffering from mental ailments recover. Looking after mentally sick people, especially those who suffer from severe depression, bipolar affective disorder, and schizophrenia, is a challenging task for caregivers on a long-term basis, which impacts life quality. Certain intrinsic factors like psychological distress, care burden, self-esteem, and anxiety contribute to the quality of life. The study focused on the assessment of self-esteem of family caregivers of mentally ill clients. Material and Methods A descriptive design was used. Data were collected from 120 family caregivers of people suffering from mental illness using purposive sampling. Baseline proforma, as well as the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, were administered. Inferential and descriptive statistical methods, including the Chi-square test, were used for data analysis. Results The majority of caregivers had normal levels of self-esteem. No significant associations were observed between self-esteem levels and selected baseline variables. Conclusion Most caregivers exhibited normal self-esteem, but a notable proportion experienced low self-esteem, highlighting the psychological impact of caregiving. Interventions to enhance self-esteem and provide psychological support could benefit caregivers, improving their quality of life and caregiving ability.