Family burden and social network in schizophrenia vs. physical diseases: preliminary results from an Italian national study

OBJECTIVE: To compare burden and social network in families of patients with schizophrenia or physical diseases. METHOD: A total of 709 relatives of patients with schizophrenia and 646 relatives of patients with physical diseases were recruited in 169 specialized units located in 30 randomly selected Italian geographical areas. RESULTS: In both groups, the consequences of caregiving most frequently reported as present were constraints in social activities, negative effects on family life and a feeling of loss. Objective burden was similar in the two groups, while subjective burden was higher in schizophrenia. Social support was lower among relatives of patients with schizophrenia than among those of the other group. CONCLUSION: These results highlight the need to provide families of those with long-term diseases with supportive interventions, aiming to: i) manage relatives' psychological reactions to patient's illness; ii) provide information on patient's disease; iii) reinforce relatives' social network, especially in the case of schizophrenia.