Care burden and depression levels in the relatives of patients with bipolar disorder

INTRODUCTION: Bipolar disorder (BD) is an affective disorder characterized by a chronic course and places a heavy financial and moral burden on caregivers. The study was carried out to identify care burden, depression, and related factors in the caregivers of bipolar patients.
METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on the relatives of 71 BD-diagnosed patients hospitalized in the psychiatry clinic of a tertiary hospital. Data were collected using the introductory information form, the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
RESULTS: The mean age of the caregivers was 47.55±9.03, and 52.1% of them were women. A significant difference was evident between the BDI scores of caregivers, being single, having a low education level, not working in any job, not having any social security, living in an extended family, needing a helper in caring for their patients, having a physical illness and increasing the number of children they have (p<0.05). The relationship between the Zarit Scale scores and the caregivers’ lack of social security, closeness to their patients as a spouse, child, or sibling, and living in a different house from the patients also yielded a significant difference (p<0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Providing psychoeducation to caregivers concerning coping skills, stress management, and symptoms and episodes of the disease may bring benefits in alleviating their care burden and depression symptoms.