While a substantial body of research on caregiver burden is available by now, studies on time effects on burden and predictors of burden are still lacking. The lecture will give insight into dimensions of caregivers´ burden and factors moderating the experience of burden by refering to a multivariate stress model which has been adopted in the Munich 5-year follow-up study on relatives of first hospitalized patients with schizophrenia or depression. 2-year follow up results are presented.

Of the relatives who had participated in the baseline assessment (n=83), 76 % could be reassessed at 2-year follow-up with respect to different dimensions of burden as well as different personal dispositions and resources. The effects of time-invariant variables (caregivers´gender, patients´ diagnosis), interpersonal differences as well as intrapersonal changes in patients´ symptoms and caregivers´ dispositions and resources over time on their reported burden were calculated by the General Linear Model Repeated Measures procedure.

Although caregivers´ burden decreased significantly in the course of the 2- year period after the patients´ first admission, their well-being and self-rated symptoms remain worse when compared to norm values. Burden at 2-year follow up was mainly predicted by interpersonal differences in caregivers´perceived social support, expressed emotion and personality factors. With regard to individual changes over time expressed emotion was the most relevant predictor of burden.

The results have important implications for family intervention strategies which should focus not only on the patients´ outcome, but as early as possible on the caregivers´ individual psychological needs.