Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-cnmwb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-21T22:20:38.079Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Attitudes of relatives of patients with schizophrenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

I. Lajmi*
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
S. Omri
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
M. Maalej Bouali
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
N. Smaoui
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
R. Feki
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
J. Ben Thabet
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
L. Zouari
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
N. Charfi
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
M. Maalej
Affiliation:
Psychiatry C Department, Hedi chaker University hospital, sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Introduction

Investigating family member’s attitudesabout schizophrenia is an important step in its management. They likely influence the family’s help-seeking decisions and affect both adherence with biomedical interventionsand social integration of the patients.

Objectives

Describe families’ beliefs about the symptoms and the treatments of schizophrenia.

Methods

We led a transversal study including 32 relatives of patients with schizophrenia (DSM 5). We collected data for both patients andrelatives. We asked relatives to respond by “yes/no/I am not certain” to the questionnaireincluding items dealing with symptoms and optimal cures forschizophrenia.

Results

The mean age of the relatives was 60.8 years; 71.9% were parents; 37.5% were illiterate; 46.9% reported having another family member with a mental disorder (MD) and 15.5% of relatives were able to label the term “schizophrenia”. Nine participants (28%) believed that the patient makes shame to the family’s member and 72% of them was convinced that patient is dangerous.The majority of participants (90.6%) provedthe need for drugs and 65.6% attested the utility of psychotherapies.However, they believed innon-medical practices such as reading Holy Koran verses (87.5%), charity and exorcism (62.5%). Family history of MD was correlated to traditional practices (p=0.038). The belief that patient is dangerous and that he makes shame were associated with advanced age of relatives (p=0.000 and 0.037 respectively). Significant correlationwas found betweennon medical practices and erratic follow-up (p=0.043).

Conclusions

This study points outthe need to improve the psychoeducation of family members of persons with schizophrenia.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.