Caregiver Burden, Stress, and Belief Systems in Attendants of Individuals Afflicted with Psychiatric Illnesses

OBJECTIVE: To explore the magnitude of caregiver burden, psychological stress, and belief systems among individuals attending to psychiatric patients.METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 363 caregivers of psychiatric patients at Department of Psychiatry, PNS Shifa Karachi, using structured interviews and validated tools to assess caregiver burden, stress levels, and belief systems.The study was conducted from January -July 2024.Caregivers of patients with psychiatric disorders aged 18 years and above were included and those who had a psychiatric illness, a history of taking medication for such conditions, and those diagnosed with Alzheimer's or memory loss excluded.Reliability scores for the instruments were 76.3% and 71.6%, respectively.Data was analyzed using SPSS 26.RESULTS: This study reported that most patients were suffering from depression (60.6%), followed by anxiety (30.0%), and psychosis (9.4%).Caregivers were predominantly female (59%).51% of caregivers reported moderate to severe burden, and 64.7% experienced moderate stress.No significant differences in burden or stress were found by caregiver or patient gender and relationship (p>0.05).However, both burden and stress were significantly higher among caregivers of patients with depression (p < 0.001).Belief in supernatural causes such as "Nazar" and "Jadu" was common, with 57% and 59% endorsing them, respectively.CONCLUSION: Caregivers of psychiatric patients experience significant levels of burden and stress, particularly when dealing with depressive disorders.Belief in supernatural causes remains widespread and may influence perceptions and practices of caregiving.There is an urgent need for culturally tailored support systems, psychoeducation, and policy-level interventions.